


Sub Shiro Snippets and Such

by Beware_The_Tristero



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Abduction, Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BDSM, Biting, Bottom Shiro (Voltron), Canon-Typical Violence, Comfort/Angst, Cute Shiro, Dark, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, Fluff and Angst, Galra Empire, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Human Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Innuendo, Knotting, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Rituals, Mildly Dubious Consent, Omega Shiro (Voltron), Pirates, Project Kuron, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rating: General to Explicit, Reference to all 5 seasons, Rough Sex, Season 6 Spoilers, Season 7 Spoilers, Season 8 Spoilers, Sexy Shiro, Snarky Shiro, Space Dad, Sub Shiro, Team Bonding, alternative universe, attempted humour, captive shiro, please read the chapter warnings, protective voltron family, vulnerable Shiro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-03-31 20:58:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 41
Words: 44,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13983195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beware_The_Tristero/pseuds/Beware_The_Tristero
Summary: Ratings: General – Explicit (please read the chapter summaries).Pairings: Sendak/Shiro, Lotor/Shiro, Galra!Keith/Shiro, Ulaz/Shiro, Zarkon/Shiro, Kolivan/Shiro.Behold the home of my depraved Sub!Shiro obsessed mind; most of these chapters will be unfinished drabbles, some are one-shots and others may lead to small, multi-chapter fics (as I just can’t seem to finish or continue them all but wanted to share them anyway; all stories are available for adoption). However, the commonality is that, in some way or another, Shiro will be on thereceiving endof things *wink-wink*.(Terrible summary is terrible...)On one final note, please observe the tags; I always try my best to give ample warningsas my writing can be pretty graphicso just do me a solid and double check the chapter summaries before reading further.





	1. Spirited (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own (or claim to own) any of the characters or settings used in this non-profit piece of fiction; I am merely using them/their likenesses for my own entertainment (and hopefully the entertainment of others).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Sendak/Shiro
> 
> Summary: Zarkon’s rule extended throughout the universe and ate up a small, blue planet and its short-lived people just as it did all the others; however, it was soon discovered that the Galra could mate with the native population and so a new, stronger, more resilient breed began to rise.
> 
> Upon seeing the biological advantages of mixed-blood beings (not that they would ever be seen as _true_ Galra) Zarkon allows a Royal Family (strictly loyal to him and the Empire) dominion over the planet and its solar-system.
> 
> Once established, it was demanded (once every century) that the Earth-Coalition provide an offering of valuable resources and, as Zarkon’s most loyal Commander, Sendak is sent to collect the spoils this time _and_ to assess Queen Krolia’s loyalty (since there have been whispers of rebellion and uprisings fluttering through the intergalactic rumour-mill).
> 
> Resolved to complete his mission, the full-blooded Galra sets out with a single-minded purpose... until one of Prince Keith’s guards, the _Champion_ of their gladiator arena no less, turns this simple task into a _vacation_ that will have him questioning everything he’s ever known...
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: snarky!Kuro, annoyed!Sendak, innuendo, minor violence, sexual-tension, teasing, bottoming from the top, rough kissing, rough touching, Kuro the cock-tease, Sendak doesn’t know whether he wants to mate or murder him! Prince Keith is NOT amused (as he may be pining...)**
> 
>  
> 
> Again, this warning will feature with every installment; this particular chapter will only feature Shiro flirting, Keith becoming exasperated and Sendak looking for the nearest transport _back_ to the safety of the Empire he knows!

Earth, Sendak had decided, was not unlike any other planet he’d travelled to; it was wetter, perhaps, certainly in the northern hemisphere and it did, at least, have a natural gravity and atmosphere which weren’t _totally_ unpleasant, he supposed.

“Welcome High Commander Sendak, we trust your journey was untroubled?”

Deigning the wizened old man (a _true_ human if his nose were anything to do by) who greeted him a sparing glance, the Galra turned his attention back to the docking-bay his ship had landed in; spotless, as it should be, and only graced by the Queen’s officials and this _creature_ who, he remembered, was the head of the _welcoming committee_. 

Tch, what a waste of time.

“Ah, yes, well, if you’d be so kind as to follow me? We have a transport ready... and, umm... okay, you already know your way, of course...”

Striding down the gleaming, white corridors (it vaguely reminded him of structures he’d seen in Altean manuscripts; he filed that thought away for later processing, his scowl deepening), the fur-coated male continued on his way and (somehow) resisted the urge to backhand the tittering creature rushing after him with a handful of Sentries and two other _half-bloods_.

“Ah-h, my name is Samuel Holt and, should you need anything, sir, your data-pad has been loaded with...”

“I will neither want nor need assistance from you” he cut in, his tone bored whilst he rounded a corner to find a smaller vehicle parked in a black-surfaced lot surrounded by trees, greenery and other buildings associated with the space-port, a door opened to demonstrate a luxurious seating area.

 _More_ waste; did the Queen have nothing better to occupy her time with than making such needlessly opulent things?

Again, that thought was filed; his report to Emperor Zarkon, he was sure, would bring swift, Galra-efficient change to this distant, excessively lavish little mud-ball.

“Not too friendly, are you?”

Blinking, the crimson of his bionic eye flashing dangerously, Sendak snapped his head to the right where (lounging provocatively against an ivory-pillar, a small, fragrant fruit in his hand) a _mixed-blood_ regarded him with luminous, amber irises before taking a loud, crunchy bite; a flash of teeth (a _smile_ he’d been told) and a wink followed the display.

What _impudence_!

Snarling and standing at his full height, the Commander prowled the short distance between them, his boots clacking ominously upon the glistening tiles until there was less than a metre separating his hulking form from the other’s (by comparison) shorter, more slender body.

The armour-emblazoned uniform (indicating his place amongst Queen Krolia’s personal staff) the happily eating male wore was the _only_ thing that stopped Sendak from slicing that grinning head clean off its neck.

“Name, rank and objective, _**now**_ ” he barked curtly, his own flash of teeth serving as the menacing gesture such a display _should_ convey.

“Takashi Shirogane, friends call me Kuro, Lieutenant First Class, observation and recognisance” he stated, his posture still relaxed whilst he bit, chewed, savoured and swallowed another bite; “sir” he added as an after-thought, his eyes alight with an (almost playful) arrogance and cock-sure fire.

Such behaviour was deplorable, unacceptable, _treasonous_ even and he...

“You want some?”

Sendak felt his legendary composure attempt to flee him as he baulked; “ _what_?!”

“Well, you _are_ staring at my apple... or, maybe I’m wrong and it’s _me_ you’re gawping at...”

“How _dare_ you! I...”

“Either way, I really don’t mind sharing, if you’re game” the other shrugged, his languid, confident gait slinking away from its resting spot as he sauntered by; “I’ll be training in the arena for a while so, if you are interested, maybe you’ll let me take that fancy arm of yours for spin” he mused, their eyes locking as he smirked. 

“Umm, and I can think of some other things I’d like you to spin for _me_ in exchange...”

~*~*~*~

The journey to Krolia’s base of operations (if the human, Holt, called it a castle _one more time_ then the _Queen_ would be short a welcome-committee member) had become blissfully silent amidst one of his more furious glares; however, taking out his ire on the old man and the other two mixed-bloods was doing little to sooth him.

Damn that blasted creature for riling him; it’d been countless decades since _anyone_ had gotten under his skin so fast and, worse still, he’d strolled away (hips jaunty, expression _superior_ ) to a smaller, faster transport and been gone before Sendak could form a proper response.

It was infuriating, _humiliating_ and...

“Umm... Commander, ah... your hand? Are you alright, sir?”

Blinking out of his thoughts, he allowed a thunderous glare to zero on the female who visibly flinched under the scrutiny; “what are you prattling about, _child_?” he growled before, with a scowl, he looked down at his prosthetic. 

He’d snapped the arm-rest he’d placed it on into thick, broken chunks of metal and plastic.

“If it’s a malfunction, sir, we can stop off at the med-tech bay...”

“That’ll not be necessary” he ground out, his metallic fingers releasing the debris with a nonchalance that suggested the act had been entirely purposeful; “however, if a detour would not violate Krolia’s Empire-approved schedule, I want to visit the arena that _impudent_ little up-start spoke of” he added before leaning back imperiously in the plush (not totally unpleasant) seat.

“Hmm? Actually, sir, that would be an excellent place to start the official tour” Sam chirped up, his bespeckled gaze lifting from the data-pad; “Prince Keith has just checked-in to the facility, too... I’ve informed him of our approach... Umm, Captain? How long will it take us to get there?”

“Thirty-minutes tops, Mr Holt” the driver called cheerily from the cock-pit, her smile glinting dangerously in the rear-view mirror; “everyone tighten your seat-belts!”

~*~*~*~

The people of Earth (Galra, mixed or human) Sendak realised, were all _criminally_ insane.

“Woo-hoo! Did you see that? We made it in fifteen!”

Exiting the vehicle, his mind boggling at _just how many military infractions_ the human woman would have incurred should she have been _anywhere else_ in the Empire, the full-blood released a breath he didn’t know he was holding whilst the other passengers tumbled out with matching groans and sighs.

“A-ahh... so, let’s... let’s make our way, shall we?” Sam tried to chuckle off whilst offering a sheepish expression; “Captain Van Dyne is one of our more _enthusiastic_ pilots, sir, but I’ll be sure to make alternative arrangements for when we...”

“See that you do” he snapped, his own expression grim as he observed a standard (yet strangely decorated and weirdly bloodless) coliseum; it wasn’t surprising that no matches were being held mid-week _but_ the pungent rancour of the prisoners should _always_ be present.

Where were the muffled screams? The Sentries ensuring no one escaped?

“Do you not house a prison below the gladiator ring?” he found himself asking, his bionic eye scanning the structure; “I can’t imagine you have enough expendable energy that currying the _sport_ here is a viable option” he added, his ears perking in confusion when his on-board A.I. found only training rooms, healing facilities, showers and the like beneath the stadium.

“Prison?” Sam queried with a quirked brow; “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m unsure as to why a prison would be here” he added, his legs scuppering to a stop when the Commander abruptly stopped, his expression causing the two mixed-blood attendants (who clearly knew better) to stop and lower their heads a fraction.

“Holt, if prisoners are not executed here through blood-sport then what, exactly, takes place here?” he huffed, his natural eye flashing dangerously; “Emperor Zarkon will not be pleased to know that the Earth-Coalition treats his enemies with sympathy or _mercy_ ” he reminded, his tone sending a flinch skittering across the mortal who visibly gulped.

“O-oh no, no of course not, sir” he stammered; “Queen Krolia follows all executions sanctioned by the Empire to the letter, sir... it’s just that...”

“What?”

“Well... when the Galra Empire so graciously extended its dominion to us” the diminutive creature began, his glasses flashing in the mid-morning sun; “we humans had long since banned such methods of dealing with criminals, sir... however, the arena was so important to your culture and many people saw it as a way to entertain the masses without, umm, someone having to die...”

“Preposterous” Sendak snorted, his exasperation mounting; “if there are no stakes then what is the point?” he growled, his mouth opening to demand he be shown these _alleged_ alternate methods of culling the weak and criminal element of their shared society when...

“Why don’t you come in and see for yourself, stud?”

Ears flattening and fangs flashing, the Commander turned to find _exactly_ what had brought him here in the first place lounging by an entry-way, his own teeth displayed in a lazy smile whilst a younger man (who clearly had more Galra ancestry and Royal-bearing) grumbled beside him.

“ _Stud_? Really?”

“You know I have a type” was the shrugged response whilst, once again, Sendak made his approach; “and besides, your Highness, his ears do this _really_ adorable twitchy-thing when he’s mad” he added through a chuckle when the far taller being snagged him by the neck and lifting him off the ground: “ _see_?”

Scowling, Keith rolled his eyes before drawing his sword and swinging it (with a speed, he supposed, that was impressive for a mixed-blood) up to rest neatly at the true Galra’s throat; “Commander Sendak? We’ve not been formerly introduced” he said blankly, his purple features pinched with annoyance. “I am Keithra, son of Queen Krolia, Prince of the Earth Coalition” he continued whilst Kuro casually tapped his claws against the metal which was millimetres away from crushing his throat. “And I’d _really_ appreciate it if you’d not kill my body-guard just now... it’d be inconvenient to find a replacement with his skill level and _charm_ ” he furthered, his laser edged blade moving to singe mauve fur before, after a huff, the Shirogane was released.

“Aww, would you look at that? I _knew_ you liked me” the black and white haired mixed-blood grinned whilst patting imaginary dirt off of his pristine uniform; from the looks on both of their faces, it was clear that both Prince and Commander weren’t sure _whom_ he was addressing.

Just as he’d hoped.

“Well, as fun as this is, I should _really_ go and get ready for my match” he sighed out, his own Galra-tech arm burning an electric violet whilst he smirked in a way he _knew_ lit up his eyes in a way that most males couldn’t ignore. 

“I trust that I’ll see you both later, yes?”


	2. Spirited (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: Kuro... that's really it**
> 
> ; 3

“You, my friend, have a death wish...”

Chuckling, his hands deftly securing the latches of his breast-plate, Kuro smoothed his features into a look of innocence as he turned to Matt; when their eyes locked over the holo-screen his _trainer_ was observing, the human snorted whilst the older male asked: “whatever do you mean?”

“By the Ancients” the red-head mumbled whilst angrily jabbing at a few glowing icons; “seriously? You’re enjoying this a little too much...”

“Oh come on, Matty, it’s just a bit of fun...”

“Playing with Prince Keithra’s feelings for you is one thing _but_ gaining the interest or rather the _wrath_ of Emperor Zarkon’s right hand man is beyond suicidal” the glasses wearer tried to reason, his tone long-suffering. “One of these days you’re going to land in a pile of shit so deep that not even Queen Krolia will be able to bail you out of it...”

“Tch, you worry too much, _mom_ ” the fighter grinned whilst picking up and securing his bayard to the white belt which clung snugly across his tapered waist; “Keith’s a good kid who’ll soon realise that his silly crush on me can’t go anywhere” he offered with a light shrug. “Hell, for all I know, he’ll probably end up with Prince Lotor if all of the rumours over the gossip-mill are true, heh, now that’ll be a good match providing they don’t kill each other trying to figure out who’ll be on top when they...”

“Ugh! Too much information! Thank you!” the shorter creature yelped, his hands cuffing his ears as Kuro snorted.

“Aww, Matty, you’re such an adorable little virgin” he cooed sweetly; “I could always help you with that...”

“Yeah, thanks but _no_ , Captain claws for fingers” the human snipped, his eyes narrowing; “you’re way too much Galran for me to handle” he added before, his gaze now widening, he scowled thoughtfully at the screens he’d been manipulating. “What the hell?”

“Hmm?”

“Your latest banter-buddy has demanded that Myzax by your opponent today” he muttered whilst Kuro blinked then let out a deep, throaty laugh.

“Oh, but I have been _dreaming_ of a re-match with that guy... have the Druids finished the upgrades he demanded they install?”

“Shit... have they ever” Matt breathed as he enlarged the image he was viewing to display for his trainee’s observation.

Whistling, his brows rising, the mixed blood crossed his arms and hummed in appreciation; “wow, I’m starting to like Sendak more and more” he smirked. “I’m sure I can find _some_ way to repay him for this awesome opportunity” he added with a wink that had the human groaning in dismay.

“There is something seriously wrong with you!” the red-head declared; “he’s a _monster_ whose been sent by our superiors to check up on us, so how...”

“Umm, I bet there’s a certain part of his anatomy that’s more monstrous than the rest... and I’m not talking about his _arm_...” Kuro purred whilst Matt grabbed fistfuls of his hair and attempted to tug out his growing frustration. 

“Please, _stop_!”

“Yeah... and he’s so _tall_... Is it wrong that I just want to climb him like a tree? You know, I’d probably have to if...”

“Lalalala! I can’t hear you!!” the younger close to screeched, his holo-screens going haywire whilst his pyramid-drone danced and bobbed around him, chirping in distress.

Chuckling, the half-breed raised his hands in a placating gesture; “okay, okay, I’ve stopped, see?”

Cautiously ceasing his motions, his body bent in an odd pose (as he’d been squirming), the human sighed and stood up straighter, his form exasperated as he walked back over to the gladiator; “all joking aside, Myzax is packing some serious heat, a few extra feet of height and I don’t want to know just how much muscle” he murmured. “That, and his new and improved quintessence weaponry looks like it’s off-world grade, hell, my schematics can’t even chart the power levels it’s throwing off...”

“Re-lax” Kuro shrugged; “I’ve faced off with bigger, meaner things than Myzax... and besides, all the new tech in the world can’t hide the fact that he’s shit at fighting” he added before stretching, a few of his joints popping deliciously.

“So, is it time?”

“If you want it to be...”

“Good” he smiled, his claws extending as he walked past the younger male and towards the locker-room’s exit; “let’s get this party started...”


	3. Spirited (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> No warnings as... well, I can't write fighting scenes so I kind'a just skirt around them : )

Sendak had to admit (and only to himself) that he was, however begrudgingly, _impressed_...

“Oohhh! What an upset! What a powerful knock to the head! The Druids are gonna have their work cut out for them after that one! But wait... could it be?!”

The hybrid, _Kuro_ , was magnificent to watch; his form was flawless, his skill with the bayard (which morphed effortlessly from blade, to gun, to grappling-hook at will) was unmatched (not even _Lotor_ , from what he’d seen of the boy, could interchange his bayard so fluidly) and Myzax, well...

“It is! He’s down! Just like David felling Goliath!! K.O! _**K.O**_! Un-be-lievable~!!”

The hulking creature, ten foot at the shortest, hadn’t stood a chance as, even with his weight, height and weaponised advantages, Kuro was all grace, speed and lethal, well practised motions...

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give to you your Champion of the Galra Empire’s Earth Coalition Arena, Lieutenant First Class, Takashi Shirogane~!!”

The smug look which the preening, bowing male shot his way whilst the crowds cheered and the announcer continued to shower him with praise _almost_ had Sendak stalking his way down to the dust and debris damaged battleground to show him what a _real_ fight looked like... 

“ _ **Kuro~!! Kuro~!! Kuro~!!**_ ”

However, he was here for a specific set of purposes and trouncing Queen Krolia’s pet hybrid was not one of them, no matter how tempting...

“Oh wow! You’ve done it again, Kuro-chan! So do you have any words for your fans today?”

Sitting within the ‘ _box_ ’ (another luxury that should be afforded for the Emperor and the Emperor only), the food and drink he’d been offered still untouched whilst Holt, his attendants and the Sentries posted with them continued to talk excitedly about the match, Sendak could only glower down into the pit and at a human woman who all but _gushed_ over the smirking victor.

“In times of war” he began, the honeyed irises housed inside the human whites of his eyes flashing the Commander’s way; “we of the Galra Empire claim victory or death” he stated and, at his right, the true blood was sure that Prince Keithra had stiffened.

As well he should for, if the little up-start _was_ about to say anything even remotely treasonous then he would, of course, have to act...

“However, in these times of peace, I ask for our Prince’s permission to spare Myzax’s life... he is a worthy opponent and one whom I would relish a third match with” he added, his smirk curving into something darker and _distinctly_ Galran. “I do not ask for mercy, I merely ask for a further opportunity to teach this lower-life-form his place, and that place is beneath the boot of one wearing the crest of the Emperor!” he called, his remark flaring up further, wild, appreciative cheers whilst the Prince huffed out a chuckle and stood.

At the motion, all voices quieted and Sendak was, with a blink (that made him scowl deeper) beckoned to stand beside him; “Champion” Keithra responded: “in all things we, of course, defer to our Emperor” he announced whilst _politely_ gesturing to the (growing in suspicion despite the cordial, appropriate display of deference) Commander. “This day, we are blessed with the presence of Lord Zarkon’s protégé and, it is to him and his wisdom, that I offer Myzax’s fate...”

The _little_ shit!

Smoothing the furious anger he felt bubbling away from his face, a bored look of superiority swiftly replacing it, the true Galra sneered; “mercy, in this instance, would be death” he declared. “Send him to the Druids.”

Howling at his decision, the humans, hybrids and full-bloods all cheered the ruling whilst (to his continued shock) Kuro used the device that the perky Earth woman had given him to shout a rousing “vrepit sa!” which, in turn, thundered across the crowd even as he and the Prince returned to their seats.

This, Sendak thought, was a potentially _very_ dangerous situation...

“Did you not enjoy the match, Commander?”

Not a thing _appeared_ out of place; they’d treated him with the utmost respect, acknowledged his standing in the Empire and yet...

“It was... _passable_ in terms of entertainment, I suppose” he managed to drawl, his thoughts racing; there was something _unsettling_ about this colony and, at the heart of it, Kuro and Keithra seemed to have found their place.

What was it that they were trying to hide from him? What were they _planning_?

“Ah, high praise from someone with your _illustrious_ reputation” the Prince mused whilst he got up and began his quest to leave the lavish, servant peppered room; “come then, my Mother is ready to receive you” he added, his purple, white accented cape billowing out behind him grandly as he sauntered.

Bearing his teeth (why did _everyone_ preen around this mud-ball?), Sendak stood to follow, his eyes momentarily glancing back into the arena, his bionic implant flashing when Kuro noticed, winked and _waved_ at him with a shit-eating grin plastering his features.

 _Dangerous_ , indeed....


	4. Spirted (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

“Why do they call you Keithra?”

The new driver Holt had arranged, another half-blood only this one’s blood was tempered by the calming influence of his superior genes, was much more competent _but_ , he’d admit, the slower pace left him progressively more annoyed.

He hadn’t even been on this backwards mudball for a full cycle and yet his nerves were already fraying.

“Umm?”

At the cough from his human _guide_ , the Prince sat across from him huffed and sat up a little straighter; “I’m sorry Commander, what did you ask?” his tone just shy of insolent as the human sighed in evident despair.

“Your _name_ ” Sendak ground out curtly (the fact that he and the human were experiencing similar levels of grievance thanks to the boy making him all the angrier); “you were designated Yorak on you name-day _but_ both Shirogane and your human subjects refer to you as this _Keithra_... this is not a title, is it?”

Regarding the taller, older male with a quirked brow, the half-ling frowned softly; “it’s nothing devious, if that’s what you’re thinking, _sir_ ” he replied, his head turning back to gaze at rapidly passing the view. “Yorak is my Galran name, however, my father and the greater part of my family is human... Keithra honours that lineage, that’s all” he stated bluntly. “Keith is the name my father wanted me to have and we added ‘ra’ to it to ensure that it didn’t clash too much with what the Empire expects... Gal-ra merely means ‘great-people’, after all, so I became Keith of the People which, actually, does fall in line with ancient titles given to some Earth Kings” he furthered, his tone now thoroughly bored. 

Narrowing his organic eye, the fur-ruffed male regulated his breathing and chose to let the child’s rudeness slide, _for now_.

“A-ah, what I believe the Prince means to say is, sir, that thanks to Lord Zarkon’s generosity, the native peoples of Earth are still granted permission to exhibit our cultures alongside that of the Empire’s... it is a privilege we are incredibly grateful for” Sam spoke up, his glasses flashing when he looked imploring towards the huffy royal.

“It is good to see that the human-race is so responsive to the benevolence of the Empire” Sendak admitted through a growl; “Holt, how much longer must we travel until we reach the Queen’s residence?”

“Just under ten minutes, sir” the be-speckled male replied efficiently, his fingers flying over the holo-screen projecting from his arm-guard; “do you require anything before we... _oh quiznak..._ ” he cut off, his brow suddenly sweating whilst he turned to view the window that a now smirking Keith was staring through.

Following their gaze, Sendak could feel his fur stand on end; “the _Champion_?” he assumed gruffly, his bionic eye scanning the stream-lined vehicle speeding beside them, the Queen’s crest glinting at the side of the helmet and the motorcycle itself.

“Tch, he took his sweet time catching up to us...”

“He was _meant_ to remain in the Arena, your Highness... Kinkade and Griffiths have been assigned to...”

“Heh, Kuro is my body-guard, he has been since I was nine” Keith cut in, his smirk deepening when the rider waved before revving ahead of them. “He’s not going to snub his duties just because he’s rubbed someone’s fur the wrong way” he furthered, a sly glance slanting Sendak’s way before he resumed his scrutiny of the other vehicles sharing the highway. 

Sucking in a deep breath, a hanky slipping out of his sleeve to wipe his brow, Sam slouched a little into the plush seating that their vehicle supplied; as much as he loved Kuro like a second son, he couldn’t deny that the cocky young man’s attitude could very well be the death of him.


	5. The Blade of Marmora (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairings: Alpha!Ulza/Omega!Shiro, Alpha!Kolivan/Alpha!Ulaz/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Summary: Krolia departs for Earth to warn her human mate about the imminent invasion whilst making plans for him and their son to join the Blade (as a mystic foresees a small band of humans and a hybrid being able to turn the tides of this relentless war) alongside the Blue Lion of Voltron.
> 
> However, after witnessing the _Champion’s_ plight and marvelling at his skill level, Kolivan decides that they cannot leave the young male to the Druids’ ministration and, instead, bring him into the fold as well; when liberated, neither he nor Ulaz can believe that Zarkon’s favourite fighter is, indeed, an omega.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings include: heat-cycles, heat-sex, knotting, threesome, cultural differences, biting, mating, PTSD flashbacks, angst, hurt-comfort, BAMF!Ulaz, BAMF!Kolivan, protective Blade of Marmora, canon-typical violence.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Again, this warning will feature with every installment; this particular chapter will only feature **angst**.

“W-why are you...”

“Shh!”

Ulaz’s years of training and ardent battle practises were the only things keeping him from panicking; the Druids had been dealt with but he knew, with crystalline certainty, that the Sentries are tics away and that the _Champion_ is in no fit state to fight a prolonged battle.

“We must make haste” he breathed, the bonds ensnaring his human charge easily giving way to the force of his dagger; “there is little time and, although I have no right to ask that you trust me...”

“Y-you’re here to... you’re _freeing_ me?” Shiro gasped, his body stumbling off of the operating table whilst Ulaz checked the corridors.

“Yes” he replied; “but you must move, now, can you do that?”

Watching the shocked creature nod, the Blade’s second in command returned the gesture before beckoning him to follow; thankfully, the human had little trouble keeping up and soon, a few close-calls with a blaster here, a crippled Sentry there, they were safely ensconced in an escape pod and speeding away.

The bombs he’d planted to assist their bid for freedom were, thankfully, instrumental in halting the battle-cruisers which would have surely followed them.

Now all he needed was to ramp-up the worm-hole generator and...

“Y-you’re Galra, aren’t you?”

Taking a tic to look over his shoulder, his eyes luminous in the dim-lighting, Ulaz could just about see the human’s form (crumpled on the floor near the entrance they’d scrambled through, his implant cradling his natural arm to his chest) as the space-eddy yawned open before their craft.

“I am” he admitted, his ears jerking at the other’s intake of breath; “however, I am _not_ one of them” he clarified, his face grim. 

“There are many like me, like _us_ who despise Zarkon and his poisonous grip upon the Universe” he added, his form straightening after their craft made the _jump_ which would speed them towards the first rendezvous point. “My name is Ulaz, vice-captain to Kolivan, leader of The Blade of Marmora” he furthered with a little incline of his head; “I was sent to free you from the arena and to offer you a place within our organisation as it’s our belief, Takashi Shirogane of Earth, that you are destined to be a Paladin of Voltron...”

Snorting, those dark eyes glimmering with distrust, the younger being started to unfurl, his gaze only momentarily shifting from the Galra to the swirling vortex they were travelling through; “is that the reason why you took my arm? Gave me _this_?” he close to growled, the prosthetic flashing violet.

“I...”

“I’m not mistaken, am I? That _was_ you, wasn’t it?”

Sighing softly, the freedom-fighter felt his ears droop; “you are correct” he replied gently, his head nodding to the implant. “Zarkon appreciated your spirit and wanted to enable your further _success_ for his entertainment” he stated, his frown deepening; “without that technology, you would surely be dead...”

“ _Heh_... perhaps that would’ve been better” Shiro muttered gravely, his strength depleting as he slumped back to the ground; “I... I just want to go home” he said whilst curling in on himself, his eyelids feeling heavy.

He knew he shouldn’t sleep, it wasn’t safe... he was never safe... never _would be_...

But God, he was tired...

So _fucking_ tired...

He was out before Ulaz, his cloak in hand, came to drape it about him...


	6. The Blade of Marmora (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings include: heat-cycles, heat-sex, knotting, threesome, cultural differences, biting, mating, PTSD flashbacks, angst, hurt-comfort, BAMF!Ulaz, BAMF!Kolivan, protective Blade of Marmora, canon-typical violence. 
> 
> Again, this warning will feature with every installment; this particular chapter will only feature: **angst, cultural differences, references to canon-typical violence/blood shed, references to sexism/sexual slavery**.

“... did well to secure him, was the operation a success?”

Shiro couldn’t be sure _but_ it felt as though he’d been healed; nothing hurt, ached or trembled when he jostled his form.

However, he’d had dreams like this before.

“He wakes, so soon?”

Snapping his eyes open, the human could barely restrain the flinch which jerked him; this dream, like all of the others, was actually a nightmare.

“Y-you...” he tried, a shudder of cold washing up and over him when the strange, capsule like structure he’d been stood in cracked open; blinking, the scarred male toppled out, his eyes screwing shut as he braced for an impact that never came.

He’d been caught on both sides by strong, furred hands attached to stronger, equally furred arms.

“N-no... not again... _no more_...” he heard himself breath, a sheen of sweat prickling his brow when he tried to pull away.

“Easy there, we’re not here to harm you...”

Snapping his head up (his psyche thrilled that there were no tears lacing his lashes, not anymore), Shiro glared at the Galran, at _Ulaz_ before hissing; “says the person who _cut off my arm_!”

“I...”

“Peace” the taller, gruffer voiced alien tried; turning his attention to the left, the human took a second to regard the red-paint, the grim demeanour, the _braid_ and realised, with a blink, that this was no ordinary Galran.

Not of the Empire which he’d seen, anyway.

“W-who are you?” who murmured, his flux of anger born strength feeling him; “you’re Galra but you _aren’t_...”

“Heh, you’re a perceptive one” the taller, _bluer_ alien replied, those eerie, pupil-less eyes shifting above his head for second before returning back to his bewildered gaze. “I am Kolivan, the leader of the Blade of Marmora” he introduced whilst they slowly, _carefully_ , helped the shorter man to stand. “I am only sorry that our meeting couldn’t have come sooner and that you were forced to exist in the way that you have been before my mate was able to rescue you” he furthered, his tone smooth yet gravelly and sincere. 

Looking between the two, his wariness giving way to weariness, Shiro allowed them to walk him towards a large, padded chair which had a range of weird, coloured buttons rippling out of the armrests; “b-but why me?” he found himself asking. “I don’t matter... I’m just an Earthling... hell, I’m just an astronaut, a _pilot_ and, if you want me to do anymore of t-that fighting... in the arena... then...” he huffed, his body slumping into the foamy surface with a tired wheeze.

“Whereas I can make no promises about not fighting, we are at war with Zarkon and will be until his tyranny ends, however, one thing I will swear to you, upon my honour, is that you shall never again be subjected to that vile and wretched place” the taller Galran assured. “And as for you being selected, we would liberate all prisoners if we could but time is of the essence and we have strong reason to believe that you, Takashi Shirogane of Earth, are destined to be a Paladin of Voltron...”

“I... that _word_...” he murmured; “the guards talk about it sometimes, usually when Zarkon is on the war-path... the matches when he is are... _brutal_ ” he said softly, his gaze nervously shifting to Ulaz as the lilac creature began tapping away at the various control-panels. “What is it, exactly? I’ve heard of Paladins too, before, back home during mandatory history-classes... aren’t they a warrior monk, a _priest_ of some kind?”

“That and more” Kolivan acknowledged, his mouth opening to add more when the sound of his mate gasping cut him off.

“W-what’s the matter?” Shiro asked, the feeling of trepidation that’d been swelling inside him mounting; “is something wrong? Oh-h God, am I sick?” he gasped, his body sagging as thoughts of the blood and all manner of other _fluids_ he’d been splashed with danced morbid circles through his mind.

“Ah, no, no it’s nothing like that” Ulaz was quick to sooth, his head gesturing for the older Galran to review the monitor he’d brought up; “I... forgive me, but I hadn’t realised that you were an omega” he added, his brow ridges raised when the human simply shrugged at him.

“It’s standard for all omega military personnel to be given beta-supplements which effectively mask our gender” he offered lightly; “and from what little I’ve heard about what the _Empire_ does to people like me, it just makes me more glad that I took a three-year booster shot” he furthered, his voice tired and strained whilst he observed the cautious pair.

“If this is the part where things get weird and you... you start treating me like I’m made of glass or... or _worse_ then you may as well just kill me and be done with it” he stated, his tone resolute. 

“I’m not a whore, a pleasure slave or _anything_ like that, okay?” he grimaced when the silence yawned between them, “so if you...”

“Please, you misunderstand our concern” Ulaz cut in gently, his hand moving to touch the shorter beings shoulder before he thought better of it; “omegas are sacred in our culture... but you’re right to be wary, of course, and you aren’t wrong in supposing that your fate would have been very different should this knowledge have been made public” he said.

“It is a blessing from the Ancients that the Druids did not harbour more of an interest in you” Kolivan agreed before tapping at a bracelet he wore; “Antok? Have the kitchen prepare rations for our guest and alert Thace to the change in plans” he called, his ageless face turning back to Shiro. 

“We are at your service, here, Shiro, not the other way around” he promised; “should you wish to learn more about the Paladins and our hopes then we will gladly share what we know... however, if you’d prefer it, we can make arrangements to return you to Earth” he stated with a nod. “None will harm you in the meantime and we would, very much, like for you to share in an evening meal with those of us gathered at our Headquarters, if that is acceptable to you?”

Blinking, his face probably as flabbergasted as he felt, the human could do little else but nod as he accepted Ulaz’ offered arm and stood.

He hadn’t had any nightmares quite like this one...


	7. The Blade of Marmora (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: it's short and angsty... well, of course it's angsty! This is me we're talking about ; 3**

The Blade of Marmora were as pleasant and amenable as they were _utterly_ terrifying.

“You are suitably impressed, I take it?”

Looking (no, gawping) at the training facility and the grey-uniformed, mask-faced creatures flipping, vaulting and spinning around it with active, sizzling daggers of various shapes and sizes, Shiro could only swallow and nod: “impressed isn’t the word” he found himself breathing.

“Well, worry not, for you only need to access this space should you truly wish to” Ulaz murmured, his right hand carefully and gently rubbing at the human’s shoulder before moving them on; “we’ve ensured that all of the food-dispensaries can only serve you meals which are compatible with your metabolism, so stop by whenever you need to” he added whilst gesturing to the next, large chamber they passed. “There is also an observatory which you’ve been granted access to, however...”

“You can’t just let me roam all around your secret base, I know, I understand” the younger tried to chuckle, his own grey uniform a joy to walk in even if the clawed-gloves and extra weight of a trench-coat styled robe was something he’d have to get used to.

He’s take these clothes over the black enviro-suit and torn, dull purple tunic any day; hell, he’d be happy to never see or touch purple again...

With the possible exception of Ulaz and a handful of other lilac Galrans.

Hmm, now wasn’t that a thought?

“Thank you for your cooperation, Shiro” the alien in question offered smoothly, his voice as kind as the look upon his face; “would you like something more to eat before we return to your quarters? The evening meal is still some time away, after all.”

“That’d be great, thank you” the omega smiled, the pair of them turning into relatively quiet area decked out with long tables and benches; “umm, do all of you eat together often?”

“We are a pack-species as you are” the taller replied, a hint of sadness furrowing his brow; “however, in our line of work, and with Zarkon’s forces growing by the cycle, even we must make sacrifices and only meet for special occasions” he admitted quietly whilst directing them to a strange, gas-pump like set-up. “And speaking of which, it’s not that I wish to rush your decision, but have you reached one yet?”

Looking down for a second (his hands automatically taking the plate which has been given to him), the omega sucked in a breath; “going home... God, it’s more than I’ve dared to dream about for so long” he said, a dollop of _something_ landing on the disc he held momentarily distracting him. “But... _but_ I just can’t let that bastard keep doing what he likes... hell, if you and Kolivan are right, if I am _potentially_ a pilot to a weapon capable of stopping all of this, then, well...” 

Sighing, he looked up and tried to form what he hoped was a smile; “I’d be honoured to become a part of the Blade of Marmora...”


	8. The Blade of Marmora (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Watching the human expertly flip, dodge and meet the attacks of two Blades at once had Ulaz feeling all the more confident about the decision they’d made just over three weeks ago... and also a little smitten.

“He is performing exceptionally well” Kolivan murmured from besides him, their eyes watching from the balcony which overlooked the training arena.

“Yes, the serum I synthesised has completely removed the muscle-wasting disease that the Druids were merely stemming for their own, twisted amusement... soon, I am certain, he will be in peak condition and a match for any Galra” the doctor added, his tone fond before he turned fully to regard his mate. “Do you bring news of Earth and Krolia?”

“Hm” the taller mused, his tone sombre; “she has succeeded in her efforts to re-locate the Blue Lion and the new technology Thace provided should ensure that any Galra ships in the region are unable to detect it” he breathed, his frown deepening. “She’s been reunited with her cub and found people within the Earth’s military who she can trust thanks to the other two humans we managed to rescue and send after her... however, the human male she loved passed-on to join the Ancients during her absence.”

Closing his eyes (he did not want to imagine that kind of grief), the saboteur leaned a little further towards the Blade’s leader; “at least we have bought ourselves some time, time that she can spend with her kit before the other Lions are found” he reasoned, his own frown blooming. “With Sendak in possession of Red, finding the other three before Zarkon’s forces do has never been more imperative... we may yet live to see the end of this vile war, beloved” he furthered, a touch of hope spiking his tone. 

Moving his right arm to ensconce the shoulders of his mate, Kolivan offered a low, rumbling purr at the notion; “peace... it seems like such a strange concept... and these old bones ache with the want of it” he admitted through a chuff.

“Old? Hah! No you are simply, what does Shiro call it? Ah, yes, fishing for compliments” Ulaz snorted, his own purr reverberating between them; “if you are old, then what does that make me?”

“A young fool” the braid-haired Galran chuckled; “ _my_ young fool” he added with the same roguish smile that’d won his fellow warrior over with so many deca-feebes ago; true, a match of two alphas was unconventional (even amongst their vast race) but, together, they had carved out a life for themselves.

A life that saw them develop the Blade of Marmora from a small band of resistance fighters to the wide-spanning organisation they were today.

And they were happy, as happy as they could be in these times of war and destruction, in a mating bond without a femme or omega to complete them, to carry their cubs.

Unless...

No, _no_ he could not think such things; Shiro was a human, for one (a small voice whispered that they had the technology to grant him their level of longevity) and destined to be a Paladin if the Oracles words were true.

It would be selfish, _wrong_ , to even consider that the former gladiator could be theirs, could shudder and moan in ecstasy between them, swallow their knots, accept them as his alpha-mates...

“Umm... you think on him often” Ulaz murmured softly, a gentle smile warming his features; “we have shared him in our dreams often enough... perhaps it is more than desire and admiration” the doctor pondered quietly. “Speaking to him is the best thing...”

“ _Ulaz_...”

“Come now, beloved, why torture ourselves? If we ask and he declines, then we know it’s not meant to be and that our third is to be found elsewhere” he reasoned, his jaw nuzzling that of the taller Galra with his own.

“You could accept no as an answer, hmm? That seems quite unlike you” Kolivan quipped, his frown tilting into a light smirk; “very well then, dear-one, we shall ask if Shiro would accept courting rites from us... I suppose, if we truly wish to see the end of this war, then we should plan for a future without it, shouldn’t we?”


	9. Crystal Venom Revisited (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alpha!Sendak/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Summary: A re-imaging of this episode _all the way back_ in Season 1; imagine we’re in the A/B/O Verse and (as quite a few awesome writers/fics have explored) Sendak _helped_ the Champion out a time or two during his time in the Gladiator arena.
> 
> However, after tasting the young human during _heat_ , the Commander approaches Haggar about acquiring him permanently; agreeing to the Galra’s wishes (since the Emperor is pleased that his most apt pupil has finally asked for a privilege) the Priestess sends the omega to the labs.
> 
> Ulaz frees him before the collar and chip (assigning him to Sendak’s _care_ ) can be applied.
> 
> Who would have thought that, just a handful of cycles after he’d lost his amnesia-stricken little prize, Takashi Shirogane should appear before him once more and as the Black Paladin no less?
> 
> After manipulating King Alfor’s code, the Commander sets in to motion a series of events designed to bring the young man back to him whilst offing the rest of the Paladin’s in the process; his failure means he cannot return to the Empire _but_ what does misery like his love more than company?
> 
> **Warnings include: angst, denial, heat-sex, knotting, biting, mating, bonding, sabotage, abduction, cultural differences, self-lubrication, dub-con, dom/sub, mpreg.**
> 
> For this chapter, the warnings include: angst, denial, taunting, references to sexual activity, dom/sub and abduction.
> 
> You're welcome ; )

Shiro stared at the _sleeping_ Galran, a feeling of apprehension warring with an anxiety which begged him to flee whilst, at the same time, his rational, Garrison-trained forebrain argued that he needed to be here, he needed to find answers, information, _anything_ that could help them to defeat Zarkon.

 _Emperor_ Zarkon; God, the name itself sent chills tripping down his spine.

He swallowed, his shoulders hunching even as folded arms tightened, the quintessence of his _modification_ flaring until he quelled it with a thought.

“How do we defeat Zarkon?” he asked, his voice (thankfully) more firm than he’d been expecting; “what is his weakness? What can we use against him?” he furthered, his legs bringing him a step closer to the cryo-pod.

“If you were going to strike him, where would you? How would you do it?”

‘ _Why defeat him at all... when you can join him?_ ’

Baulking, a jet of purple spewing into the canister, Shiro’s eyes widened to the side of saucers whilst he stepped further still; “so you can hear me?” he murmured, a strange sense of dread pooling in his stomach until he stood no more than a foot from the glass and took in a breath.

That scent... it was so familiar, _soothing_ in a way he couldn’t explain...

“You can’t hold out... you’re going to tell me what I want to know... you’re just some broken _toy-soldier_ , you can’t...”

‘ _You didn’t think me so broken when you **begged** for my knot..._ ’

“W-what?” he heard himself whisper, his whole body trembling whilst flashes of images, phantom touches and whispers of cried passion taunted him even as he screwed his eyes shut; “n-no, you... I... we haven’t...”

‘ _Human’s are such _delicate_ little things, aren’t they? Your minds just choose to black-out what you don’t want to remember, what you don’t want to **know**_ ’ the silken, _purring_ voice murmured through the room.

Or... or was it inside his _mind_...

“S-shut up! You’re lying, it... I could _never_...”

‘ _Be so desperate? So tired? So _hungry_ for nourishment and comfort that even a small act of kindness was something you’d show your belly for?_ ’ the voice, _Sendak’s_ , chuckled; ‘ _do not worry, my Champion, you’ll never have to beg or starve or struggle again if you simply surrender to me and accept me as your mate_...’

“Y-you can’t be serious!” Shiro snapped, the violet plume within the canister coalescing whilst the omega grabbed his ears and bent at the waist whilst more images, scents and sounds permeated his mind; “shut up... shut up!” he cried desperately even as the laughter surrounding him darkened with lust. 

‘ _Oh how I’ve missed your spirit... and I was not lying, earlier, when I said that your escape had impressed me... it has made my desire burn all the hotter for you..._ ’

“N-no... it’s not true! You’re a monster! I couldn’t have... not with you, not even in my darkest moments, I...”

‘ _Why should you shy away from your instincts? Your _submissive_ nature? **Embrace it**_ ’ the older ordered, his mind pulling away from the Castle and King Alfor’s code; he’d flown the craft as close to the Galra controlled planet (deserted with a suitable atmosphere and an outpost which would serve as a temporary safe-harbour) as he could for his plan to work.

And now, his hook baited, he just needed to reel his human closer...

“No! No... I’m not listening to you!”

Closer still...

‘ _Then don’t... just peel back your under-garment and look at your neck... at the mark **I** left upon it..._ ’

One more step...

“Shut up! **Shut _up_**!!”

Perfect!

Eyes flashing open with a matching, parted smile of triumph, Sendak rippled the cryo-chamber’s barrier as Shiro’s fist made to slam into it; in quick succession, his clawed hand moved to snatch the human’s wrist and pull him into the pod then turning to shove him into the back of it, the arm he’d captured wrenched painfully against a struggling back.

Now, his bewildered, deliciously writhing prize secured, the Galran solidified the shielding and launched the pod to its required destination...

Whilst simultaneously urging Allura to hurtle the Castle and its occupants towards a star...


	10. Crystal Venom Revisited (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: biting, subjugation, BDSM styled dom/sub manipulation, alpha control, emotional manipulation/distress, talk of knotting, mating and mpreg.**

Shiro tried to calm his breathing, tried to settle his mind, _tried_ to ignore the feel of soft (familiar), fur-lined lips ghosting across his neck and the nose burying into the nape of his neck, breathing him in.

If he activated his arm and tried to fight the other off in these closed-quarters then he could potentially ruin the integrity of the pod, definitely killing them both.

Was he that brave?

‘ _You’re not that stupid, Takashi_ ’ the Galran murmured through their (no, it couldn’t be, it _couldn’t be_ ) mating-bond; ‘ _relax, be still, we’ll be entering the planet’s atmosphere soon..._ ’

“How could you plan all of this?!” the human snarled, his eyes glaring at the white wall he was pressed against, his teeth gritting when the other purposefully pushed into him, the armour plate covering a purple-furred chest almost squeezing the air from his lungs. “You can’t tell me that you allowed us to defeat you? That you tricked us into imprisoning you inside the Castle?” he accused, his body struggling against the leg which had slipped between his thighs.

“Mm... admittedly, no, this would not have been my first choice” Sendak close to purred; “initially, I had hoped to secure both you _and_ the Lions, that way I could have rejoined the Empire and received my due from Lord Zarkon but, of course, that wasn’t meant to be” he huffed. “Therefore, you will have to suffice as my, what did you once call yourself? Ah yes, my _consolation prize_ ” he chuckled. “Oh... how I have longed to bury my knot _deep_ inside that delicious rutting-channel of yours and now, with no Druids to interfere, my legacy can finally be planted within you...”

“N-no...” Shiro breathed, his hands curling into fists; “t-this isn’t real... it c-can’t be happening... the others will...”

“Ah, have I failed to pass on that _little_ detail? My, how clumsy of me” the Galran close to growled, his tone mockingly pleased; “I sent your precious Castle, Voltron and the rest of your _motley_ crew straight into the heart of a star” he said, his teeth flashing in a feral grin when the human jerked in shock, his knees close to buckling.

“Y-you... you _**monster**_!” the younger howled, his eyes screwing shut as he began to struggle in earnest; “you bastard! You _fucking_... Ahh!”

Sinking his teeth deeply into the biting mark he’d left only a few hours before his future mate had escaped him all those weeks ago, Sendak purposefully manipulated his claim upon the other until all fight, all _resistance_ fled from Shiro’s system and he slumped helplessly against his alpha with an obedient, _subdued_ whimper.

Purring, the older creature released his hold and licked at the blood sluggishly oozing up and out of the black body suit which encased the omega, his head affectionately nuzzling into the side of the human’s head; “that’s better” he praised. “Hmm... we must be entering the atmosphere now, good” he added, the reverberations rattling the pod coinciding with the hiss and sizzle of gases streaming past them; “soon we’ll put an end to all of this needless, thankless struggling” he promised.

“Yes... as soon as we’re settled, we’ll solidify the bond and knot you properly” he furthered, his thigh hiking subtly upwards to gently rub between his mate’s legs; “a cub stretching you wide and full is just what you need to remind you of your _true_ place...”


	11. Crystal Venom Revisited (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: taunting, mocking, ANGST, going into heat, ultimatums and SMUG Sendak!**
> 
>  
> 
> SMUT is on the way ; 3

Biding his time whilst his senses were being swamped by alpha pheromones and an impending sense of dread was, Shiro thought, one of the most desperate situations he’d faced.

“Planning another bout of resistance, are you?”

“You can’t just lock me up in this pod forever” he returned quietly as, with a _thunk_ which had them both stumbling within their limited space, the small life-craft landed upon a clearing surrounded by tall, swaying blue and orange trees, pink bushes and lime-accented grasses.

“You’re right, of course” the alpha chuckled; “and here I am with only one arm in my defence...”

“You’re mocking me” the human seethed; “you think you’ve already won... that I’m just going to _roll-over_ and let you do as you please...”

“Hmm? Oh no, you’re quite wrong there, my wayward little mate” the older chuckled, his jaw once again rubbing up the other’s neck. “I am looking forward to you challenging me, to you giving me your fire and venom... it is what makes you so alluring” he close to purred before, his hand moving to the release button, he smirked and waited for the barrier to recede.

“I... I don’t want this...”

“You will grow accustomed to your position in time” Sendak assured whilst backward stepping out of the pod; “however, if there _is_ any credence to your thinly veiled attempt at ignoring our bond then, off you go” he said with a half-hearted shrug. 

“W-what?” Shiro blinked whilst turning around, slowly, to observe the Galran and the sprawling, alien flora swathing out behind him.

“You’re a resourceful creature, Takashi, so you should be able to survive out in this wilderness, shouldn’t you?” the taller reasoned, his tone light and patronising. “Maybe your friends have survived, maybe the Castle will be able to find this world amongst the thousands of others in this system so you can be reunited, form Voltron and slay Lord Zarkon together...”

“What did I do to make you despise me so much?” the omega cut in, his eyes alive with challenge; “the arena... there’s so much that I can’t remember... before I escaped, the Druids were doing something to my head, through _this_ and... there was a... a _collar_ ” he spat, his implant glowing. “And now my only choices are... to go with you and exchange being raped for safety... or to, to take my chances _out there_?”

“Tch, _rape_? Every time I took you, you _begged_ me” Sendak sneered; “I’m an alpha, you’re an omega and _we_ are connected regardless of whether you want to acknowledge it or not” he added before, with a huff, he turned and began walking away.

Blinking (a voice screeching from his hind-brain all but crying not to be abandoned, not to be cast away), the human watched him stride off, his gaze shifting back to the psychedelic landscape before, with a swallow, he stepped onto the strange, leathery grass.

With every step the other took, the colder, the more _vulnerable_ he felt...

But he couldn’t follow the Galran, he couldn’t just _give himself_ over to the enemy... an enemy that smelt like _home_...

Oh... oh _God_ , there was a bond there... a bond and...

He gasped when the first flare of _heat_ spiked up from his loins to lance his brain; that bastard... that bastard had _triggered_ this with all of those rubs, touches and _purrs_...

_Shit..._

Trying his best to repress the moan crawling up his throat, Shiro tried to focus on his breathing as his knees buckled and he sank to the strange, acrid smelling ground; “w-wait!” he somehow managed to call, his eyes screwing shut with the revulsion he felt for his own weakness, his stupid, _pathetic_ omega biology.

“Oh my, this is quite the predicament you’re in now, isn’t it?”

Hissing at the smug male leaning over him, the human glared up into those luminous eyes; “I hate you!”

Chuckling (the sound grated on his ears whilst he struggled not to lash out) Sendak’s clawed hand reached out to cup his mate’s jaw-line, a smirk forming; “the line between love and hate, I believe, is one that can often be blurred...”


	12. Crystal Venom Revisited (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: angst, threats, reference to non-con**

The trek through the vast, alien jungle was as gruelling as it was suffocating; Shiro wasn’t sure, exactly, how much of the pain and annoyance he felt was coming from his developing heat or the situation, however, Sendak’s taller form _helping_ him through the vegetation wasn’t helping matters...

“Any slower and I’ll simply pick you up and carry you, Champion.”

Nope, not helping matters _at all_...

“You know my name, Sendak” he huffed, his Galran arm slicing through a range of vines that’d looped down from the dense foliage ensconcing (what the older had promised to be) a base fully equipped to maintain a troop of soldiers for a year or so. “Since you seem so interested in knotting me, maybe it wouldn’t hurt you to call me by that as opposed to the title you know I hate” he added after another swipe, his frown deepening. “And perhaps we’d _both_ be moving faster if you told me where we were heading...”

“Oh? And give you an advantage when I so clearly have you at my mercy?” the magenta creature chuckled; “ _perhaps_ I think more highly of you than you think and, maybe your title is meant as a compliment and not the insult you believe it to be” he furthered before, with a grunt, his arm swiped at a huge, humming insect.

“Me being a gladiator is a real turn on for you, isn’t it?”

“An omega who is able to fight like an alpha is a rare and beautiful thing” the older male admitted with a shrug, his booted feet easily stomping the grass and briars snaking around their feet; “our cubs will be strong and resilient, what is there not to find desirable?” he added with a smirk which had Shiro snorting.

“Wow... well, colour me flattered” the younger deadpanned, a spike of heat lancing through his core dizzying him to a stand-still as he wiped his brow and eyes; “ahh... God, I can’t believe that this is happening” he murmured. “I... I can’t breathe in this damned humidity and you looming over me _isn’t_ helping...”

“Then allow me to _assist_ you” the other mocked, his smirk cutting: “I’m all you have, after all...”

“Hey, don’t think my friends so weak” the omega spat, his body tearing away from the clawed hand which had moved to cap his shoulder; “I don’t care what you, your A.I. or the damned crystal you plugged into the Castle has done, the Paladins won’t have given in, not even for a second” he added through a growl. “They’ll have found a way to survive and fix what damage you’ve done, you’ll see” he furthered, his Galran prosthetic lighting up in warning before another wave of hormones made his knees buckle. 

“Hmm, so brave, even in the face of the inevitable” the taller chuckled; “and suppose that you’re correct, that you’re rag-tag group of _children_ and the Alteans _did_ survive, what then?”

“Then at least the war isn’t over” Shiro ground out, his eyes narrowed whilst he glared at the alpha. “They can keep going, they can still overcome Zarkon and free the Universe from his hold... they’ll be able to find a new Black Paladin before long” he continued, a touch of bitterness peppering his tone even as he tried to quell it. “So no matter what happens here, no matter what you do to me, there’s still hope.”

Chuffing through a sneer, Sendak merely shrugged; “what does any of that matter to me? You said it yourself, I am disgraced, a _broken soldier_ , was it? Voltron, Zarkon, conquering planets, all of that means nothing in the light of my failure” he admitted. “For the first time in my long life, I am at an impasse, I have no direction to follow, no orders and so I will use what’s at hand to build my own legacy... and what’s at my hand is _you_ ” he stated, his tone firm and unwavering. “And since you were the source of my down-fall, it is only _fair_ that you live with the consequences...”

“You’ve got some nerve!” the human spat; “you attacked us! _You_...”

“Oh no, _Takashi_ , you’d sunk your devious little claws into me the first night I forced my knot into that tight, delicious body of yours” the former Commander purred, his smile wide and lascivious; “now come, your scent grows stronger by the second and I have no intention of sharing you with the locals...”

“L-locals? Hey, _hey_! Put me down! Let go of me!” the younger snarled, his eyes wide and limbs flailing as the Galra easily secured him by the nape of his neck, those strong fingers not pressing hard enough to strangle but definitely bruise.

“Bastard!”


	13. Crystal Venom Revisited (Part 5) 17.02.19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings include: heat!Shiro, non-graphic body modification, smug!Sendak**
> 
> SMUT will appear in the next chapter which I will label dub-con due to Shiro being under the influence of 'heat' and not in his right-mind!

After _carrying_ his prize into the (as he’d expected) deserted base and throwing him (probably a little too harshly) into one of the medical-pods, Sendak watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the omega surrendered to the anaesthetic and slumped into the capsule with a muffled curse.

Such a delightfully feisty little thing; he was _almost_ too enamoured to wait.

Chuckling to himself, he then began to tap away at the menu screen; in less than two hours the other’s Druid-arm would be deweaponised and his overall DNA profile rewritten by Galra quintessence.

His life-span would be infinitely expanded, his bones and teeth strengthened and, of course, this would mean that their children would be _virtually_ true Galrans.

He’d been raised to believe in inherent, racial superiority after all; however, there was no denying the bond he’d formed with the human.

A bond he had _no_ intentions of breaking.

“ _Sendak, Commander First Class, the arm-upgrade you have requested is prepared and ready for fitting_ ” a robotic voice called, it’s electronic tones pulling him from his thoughts and prompting him to walk towards a medi-bed where the surgical arms were flexing and readying for the operation.

Soon everything would be in place for him to begin his life anew.

He couldn’t be more pleased.

~*~*~*~

Shuddering, his panting breath reaching his ears even over the sound of his over-heated blood pumping, Shiro tried to wet his dry lips whilst he fidgeted upon a dense, flat surface, his eyes struggling to open as he whimpered.

‘ _A-alpha_ ’ he found himself calling, his right-mind boiled to nothing as the sensation of slick slipping between his cheeks to wet his thighs made him squirm. ‘ _P-please... I’m so... it’s _too_ hot..._ ’ he close to begged through the bond they shared, his lashes desperately fluttering in an attempt to see, to find the one person his body craved above all else.

Luckily, he didn’t have to look far.

Feeling himself subconsciously relax when the glass which entrapped him pulled away with a hiss to reveal who he’d been pining for, the human attempted to reach for his mate but found his limbs awkward and clumsy; he keened his frustration and received a chuckle in exchange.

“My omega” the same deep, rumbling voice purred out when two clawed hands (one metallic, the other flesh) reached in to help him sit up; “what do you require?”

Blinking blearily, his body eagerly leaning into the embrace which pulled him out of his confinement, Shiro could only murmur “s-so hot” into the neck his nose desperately buried itself into; “I... your knot... please, alpha... I need it...”

“And my cubs? Do you want those to be inside of you, too?”

Groaning, his hands scrabbling against the soft strands of mauve he couldn’t get enough of (especially since his chosen was naked beyond a pair of tight, obsidian pants), the omega sighed out pleasantly at the very notion of carrying; “y-yes... I... please...”

“Come then” Sendak murmured; “I have a nest already prepared.”


	14. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: Explicit
> 
> Pairing: Alpha!Sendak/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Summary: In partial thanks to the emotional stress of seeing Lance so badly hurt and being defeated by Sendak before managing (at the last second and in no small thanks to Pidge and the Mice) to best him, Shiro’s hormones decide that, sure, now is a _great_ time to trigger his _heat_ and blow the cover of him being an alpha.
> 
> Unable (read, _unwilling_ ) to drag the team (his pack, _his kids_ ) into yet another mess (and so soon after take-off, their mission to save the Universe burgeoning out before them), he takes to his room with an ill-made excuse and seals himself away.
> 
> However...
> 
> Using suppressants since he presented at the tender age of twelve, Shiro has never encountered a _heat_ and, as though making up for lost-time, his body ensures he pays for it; scenting his distress, the Mice alert Allura who has Coran access the bio-scanners (built into every Paladin suite) of their leader’s room.
> 
> If the omega doesn’t sate his needs with an alpha and a knot, then he could slip into a shock-induced coma and perish; with no mature alpha onboard and no machine or healing pod able to help him, Team Voltron only have one, horrific, _unthinkable_ solution to the problem...
> 
> Or,
> 
> Tristero gives Sendak an incredibly _slashy_ Redemption-Arc; who knew that the ol’ _fuck or die_ , pwp would be our favourite Galra Commander’s ticket to good-guy status, huh? ; 3
> 
> **Warnings include: alpha/omega heat-sex, knotting, biting, mating, bonding, self-lubrication, graphic descriptions of sex, heat-based-dub-con, mpreg, angst, distress, happy-ending?**
> 
> Warnings for this chapter = angst, cultural misunderstandings, coercion, umm... Sendak as a reverse-sex-slave, sex-slave? Shock-collars, devious Pidge. There's no SMUT yet though, just _noises_...

“But... I don’t understand” Allura murmured, her expression growing more worried by the second as she and her Paladin’s crowded around the firmly locked doors of Shiro’s room. “Alpha, beta and omega dynamics are considered rare even within the Galra and their expansive, diverse race” she admitted before quirking an eyebrow at the young humans huddled together. “Did you not think it pertinent to inform either myself or Coran that your genders were so... so... _volatile_?” she asked, her cheeks heating delicately as a desperate _keen_ rippled through the barrier they observed, the holo-panels flashing up a warning or two.

“Tch, it’s not as though we knew about aliens in general before last week” Keith interjected, his tone harsh with worry. “We know no other way of living... hell, all of the animals on Earth follow the same gender-profile with only a few odd exceptions in the oceans” he added whilst flicking a look at Hunk and Pidge who were nodding along with him.

“Ah... I see” the Princess said, her expression now closer to sheepish; “I am sorry... I keep forgetting how sheltered your peoples have been from the wider, universal community” she apologised before another cry had them all snapping their heads to Shiro’s room.

“Is there not an alpha amongst you who can, you know...”

“A-ah... it’s not that simple” Hunk said through a cough, his own cheeks enflamed. “Alphas don’t reach sexual maturity until they turn twenty-one, so even if Lance was healed, neither he nor Keith are... um... _able_ to help Shiro right now” he furthered whilst their resident hot-head slammed his fist into the formerly pristine, white wall out of frustration. 

Coughing again (and diverting attention away from the clearly pining young man; Keith would have to thank him for that, later), Hunk pointed at himself. “I’m a beta, so no luck there and, since I can’t actively scent Coran, I’m sure he’d be a similar classification and... um, well, even if Pidge wasn’t underage, she’s a femme, just like you” he said, his words causing their shortest Paladin to baulk.

“ _Hunk_?! How the hell did you know that? I’m taking beta-supplements and...”

“ _Hey!_ ” Keith cut in, his eyes narrowed on a flashing-vermillion icon; “we don’t have time for this” he snapped whilst waving a hand at their (feigning surprise) hostess. “What does this mean?” he asked, his arms folding with a scowl when more sounds of discomfort and distress flitted into the corridor.

“Umm... oh... oh _no_ , this is terrible” the flaxen haired royal murmured, her fingers flying over the screens; “Shiro’s vitals are deteriorating rapidly... at this rate he’ll...” she breathed, her pink-accented irises narrowing before she opened up her comms. “Coran, have you found anything useful in the archives?”

“I’m afraid not, Princess” the older Altean replied from the Castle’s extensive library whilst he and the Mice continued to bring up screens of their own or prize open books which were caked with ten-thousand years worth of dust. “Everything that King Alfor has is purely to do with Galran physiology and, sadly, most of that data concerns the standard male, female genealogy... hmm, it seems that the Druids held the alphas and omegas of their kind as sacred beings and kept what they knew about them to themselves” he sighed.

“Damn it!” the Red Paladin hissed; “can one of your pods be, I don’t know, calibrated to trigger my _rut_ early?” he asked, his form positively bristling with how useless he felt.

“Don’t even think it!” Coran yelped across the open channel; “even if such a procedure was possible, any number of terrible things could happen to you and then we’d be down two pilots instead of one!” he reminded before taking a breath, his form stiffening next to the huge, gleaming bench he’d been leaning over. “I know that you’re worried, Shiro is important to all of us” he began, his eyes narrowing with resolve as he swallowed thickly; “that’s why I don’t say what I’m about to without any great thought or sense of feeling” he said, his right hand bringing up an image that made him cringe.

“Commander Sendak is an alpha...”

~*~*~*~

Grunting, his organic eye staring blearily at his surroundings (his artificial ocular device had been disabled along with the A.I. which operated it); the last things he remembered revolved around the _Paladins_ of Voltron, a force-field he couldn’t penetrate and a defeat which meant his eternal banishment from the Empire.

Scowling thunderously, the Galran attempted to flex his prosthetic to find, instead of a surge of quintessence, joints and tendons which flexed and moved more _naturally_ greeted him as he snapped his head to glare down at the limb.

It was metal, similar in size to his real arm and... Altean.

 _Definitely_ Altean...

“What is the meaning of this?!” he hissed, his attention zeroing in on the determined (and angry) looking people surrounding the cryo-pod he’d been locked in. “You dare imprison and mock me?! I may no longer be welcome in Lord Zarkon’s Court but I am _still_ a warrior and I...”

“ _You_ are going to help us” Keith stated, his tone as blunt as it was cutting; “can you feel that _pretty-necklace_ you’re wearing? Go on, you can touch it” he added, his eyes narrowing when the purple-furred creature grunted and touched the _collar_ cuffing his neck with claw-extended fingers.

“ _What- arrgghhh!_ ”

Snarling, his legs buckling to stumble him back into the wall of his prison, Sendak’s fangs lengthened in pure, unadulterated rage; “I will tear the lot of you limb from bloody limb!” he promised, the yellow of his eye flashing amber. “You will _rue_ the day that you...”

“Should we shock him again?” Hunk asked.

“ _Don’t you fuckin-_ ”

“Pidge?”

“ _Yaaahhhh!!_ ” the Galran screeched, his face alight with pain and electricity as the youngest femme smirked, her index finger reluctantly pulling away from the small holo-pad mounted on the arm-guard of her Paladin suit. 

“Okay... so, _back_ to the _you helping us_ thing” the beta said, his form completely nonplussed as he regarded the panting alpha; “you know all that pain you’re in? Well... that’s kind of the tip of the iceberg” he continued, his right brow quirking when the alien snarled at him. “Hell, if we wanted, we could probably burn your head _clean_ off your neck, just like that” he furthered with a shrug, a wink at their youngest member causing her to _smile_ at their enemy in a way that had his fur bristling. 

“I see” the oldest being spat, his legs straightening as he stood at his full-height; “do your worst for I would _rather_ die than assist you” he stated, his face set in grim determination.

“Tch, enough of this!” Keith snapped, his baynard activating; he levelled it dangerously near the Commander’s throat. “You **will** help us whether you want to or not” he insisted, the purple of his eyes sharpening before he looked to Allura and Coran. “He won’t have a choice once we get him into Shiro’s room... if their alphas are anything like ours then any thought processes will be overridden by testosterone” he added before returning to glare at (the now bewildered) Sendak. 

“The collar is a precaution and a way to deal with you when it’s over...”

“Feh! You mean to sacrifice me to your _Leader’s_ blood-lust, do you?” he sneered; “has he become so desperate to kill?”

“ _Shut. **Up**_ ” the blade-wielder ground out, his hand moving to the deactivation-pad. “Now, are you going to come with us quietly or am I going to have to drag you?”

“Ha! The second you remove this force-field it’ll be over for you! So open it if you dare!” the Galran chuckled harshly, his hands clenched into fists as he readied himself to...

“Pidge?”

The pain was so brilliant that it blinded him into the darkness, his whole-world spinning until he crashed into the ground with a thud.

Then, he knew no more...


	15. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings include: SMUT!! GRAPHIC HEAT-CYCLE SEX! KNOTTING! BITING! POSSESSIVE LANGUAGE! RUTTING! MPREG! DUB-CON DUE TO HEAT!!**
> 
> Yep... very, _very_ graphic; please don't read if you're squeamish! 
> 
> ; 3

Grunting, the ringing in his fur-lined ears doing little to ease the nervous tension he’d been storing, Sendak struggled to pull himself into a sitting position against the wall he could feel against his back; staring glibly into the darkened room, he took a deep breath to centre himself.

The air around him was thick, _sweet_...

Blinking, the Galran drank in another lungful, his nose twitching before a sound (distinctive, _desperate_ ) snapped his head toward an alcove to the left of him, his eye widening in time with the slackening of his angular jaw-line.

For, within the alcove was a bed, a bed which supported an omega, an omega _in heat_...

“By the _Ancients_...” he hissed, his sore neck twisting so that he could _stare_ ; “what kind of... _vile trickery_ is this?” he growled, his legs kicking him up to a stand whilst the pheromones exuding from the whimpering creature did their best to unwind his sanity and unfurl his baser, primal instincts.

“No tricks” the Red Paladin called from _somewhere_ ; “Shiro is in a bad way” he furthered, his tone tense and terse. “So just... _just_ hurry up and help him” he demanded angrily; “we’re running out of time...”

“Oh, but this is some strange madness you’ve daubed me with” Sendak sneered, his body (by its own accord) edging ever closer to the naked, shuddering body sprawled out so wantonly across the dishevelled mattress. “You’d have me believe that you’re _gift-wrapping_ the most sacred of all beings for me to _take_ without undergoing trials? And that it is your leader, the _alpha_ Champion of Zarkon’s arena?” he laughed, his voice on the verge of hysterical. “Ha! You _Alteans_ and your alchemy... you’ll not have me fall under...”

“ **Hey!** No one gives a shit about you and your stupid hang-ups, ok? I don’t want you to be in there! I _don’t want you **touching** him_ ” he seethed; “but I _can’t_ help him like you can so... so for _fuck’s sake_ , just...”

“ _Ahhh..._ ”

Blinking, his form throwing itself to kneel at the omega’s side, the Galran found his flesh hand resting atop the (deliciously burning) lower-back; at the touch, the younger, slighter male arched and moaned, his mouth parted as he panted and looked (unseeingly) toward the purple being.

“ _A-alpha_?” he breathed softly, a tinge of pain lacing the word.

“Omega” the older rumbled, a spike of desire lancing him with a greater potency and precision than any weapon he could hope to beat; “shh, shh, shh” he soothed, his arms working in tandem to remove his armour and strip away his black under-suit. 

Then, fully unclothed, Sendak remained kneeling, his eye appraising the tanned, scarred _perfection_ laid out like a sacrifice, an _offering_ fit for hands far more worthy than his own; he licked his lips, a carnal hunger rising up to swallow him whole.

“ _P-please... please... I..._ ”

“Shh...” he murmured, his gaze sweeping from an unmarked, pheromone glistening neck (untouched, the mating glands beading up, their perfume signalling the other’s fertility, inviting a bonding bite), down a toned, muscular back to a firm, parted rump and a pool of rich, creamy _slick_ collecting there.

A low, _possessive_ growl rippled up and out of him as he prowled to lie atop the trembling figure, his cock hard, _aching_ and arching towards his abdomen.

A small part of him warred against what he was about to do; this omega hadn’t been courted, hadn’t been _prepared_ and was so much smaller, more _compact_ than the omega’s of his own kind.

However...

The scent permeating the air around him, the _taste_ of it promised familiarity, _compatibility_ and soon that quiet voice of warning, of _reason_ was drowned out by the demands of his hind-brain; this omega was his and he would carry his offspring, secure his legacy.

“Your scent grows sweeter with each tic, _Takashi_ ” he rumbled and the younger man had to agree... 

_God_ , he’d never had a _heat_ and oh how he _hated_ the feeling of his anus collapsing to accommodate the almost painful widening of the slick-rich rutting channel; the sensation of vanilla scented slick lapping at his cheeks, lubricating them was making him cringe in a combination of embarrassment and desperation.

He was horny, burning and utterly mortified; it seemed as though, for the millionth time, he was cursing himself for being born in this ridiculously weak, overly-sensitive body; oh why... Why had his injection failed? He was supposed to heat and hormone free for the next four years...

“Shh, shh... I will not harm you... I swear upon my life and my honour...”

“F-f-f...” Shiro tried to say before a gentle stroke of a hand across his face (meaning to calm) quieted him, it then dipped down and cupped the juncture between his neck and shoulder where the clever, battle-worn fingers began to knead the mating glands beading up there. 

“Umm... so you are _untouched_ ” the alpha commented, his tone coated with pleasure as he stared down into the omega’s half-turned gaze, his smirk softening; “you may have been my enemy once, but that means nothing now...” he added, a wave of hunger eating up his features as his hand hovered millimetres away from goose-pimpled, tan skin. 

“I will endeavour to earn you, to earn the _gift_ of our union” he furthered as his hand travelled south, finger curving under a hip-bone and questing for the curls of hair encircling a rapidly reddening member pinned against the mattress, uselessly beading pre-cum.

“Soon, all you shall feel is pleasure... and the swell of _my_ knot inside you” he added through a purr that was more a growl whilst he pulled his flesh hand away to allow a keen index and middle finger (claws thoroughly retracted) to brush against the human’s entrance. 

“ _A-ahh... oh... p-please..._ ”

“Shh... you must relax... give into your nature...” he murmured gruffly before, (upon reflection) a bit too harshly, he jabbed the digits at the entrance, the motion causing Shiro to yelp and jolt, his heat prone body twisting whilst a moan escaped his lips. This transformed into an all out cry of pleasure when the tips breached him and _swirled_ before delving further, their motion allowing for more slick to slide itself into the open air as they surged forward; Sendak barely managed to stop himself from breaking the seal that assured the omega’s purity.

Whimpering when the fingers began to stretch the hyper-sensitive flesh of his rutting channel, the younger being struggled weakly whilst the Galran increased the motions, his muscle corded form easily covering him and pressing him into the foam-based mattress.

“A-h...ahh! I...”

“I can wait no longer” the alpha suddenly declared, his tone almost as wrecked as his expression. “I will have you now... struggle not, speak not for fear of spurring me on” he warned, his nostrils flared and pupils fully dilated.

’Thing is...’ Shiro thought blearily, the departing fingers giving him one final, thorough stroke. ’ ‘M not so sure I’d want to... to stop you... is it so wrong that I want you to keep going... no one’s ever done this to me before...’ his boiled-brain continued whilst he huffed, the full weight of the warrior pressing on him stealing the air from his lungs.

Why the hell had he been denying himself this?

Regarding his prize carefully, Sendak swallowed; he’d heard many an Elite, those of Zarkon’s inner-circle, brag about the effects an omega could have, even on a hardened warrior... but, by the Ancients, he’d never believed himself to be so easily bewitched, so happily ensnared by doe-eyes, pinked lips and enticingly spread legs...

He certainly could not recall becoming so hard when in the company of femmes; why, even other Commanders, in all of their strength and battle fervour, had only ever tempted him to bed on a few occasions and yet... Looking at this slender creature, his bronzed form prone, panting, a living painting for him to devour... Sendak found himself thinking that, once he’d sunk into the depths of those eyes, tasted his slick, plugged him with his knot, he’d never again crave another’s flesh...

Snarling possessively, he worked his way down until he knelt between those quivering thighs before using his hands to gently turn the human over; the few scars he'd spotted only added to their owner's carnal beauty.

Then, grinning (and with little effort) he snatched up the omega’s thighs and pulled his unresisting body upwards to give the purpling shaft a long, wet lick. Then, the younger man’s cries adding fuel to the already raging fire building inside of him, he snatched the pearl of pre-cum bubbling at the tip before moving lower. Breathing in the musk deeply, his eyes rolling back, the Commander leaned forward, his tongue darting out to sample the perfumed slick smearing the entrance his own member was so keen to be swallowed by...

“ _S-S-S-en_!”

Growling, he pressed his tongue against the entrance before pushing in deeper, his taste-buds singing as they were met with the delicious nectar oozing from the orifice; taking long, leisurely laps, Sendak felt his chest rumble with pleasure even as the omega he held wriggled and writhed, his legs kicking about uselessly at broad shoulders.

Then, his shaft demanding its long-promised reward, the violet alpha took one final lick before lowering the other back to the bed and turning him; he wanted to rut, no, he _needed_ to rut, to dominate, to _knot_...

Licking his suddenly parched lips, the sight of the man’s scar-less back filling him with a sense of pride, the Commander began pulling at the other’s slender hips, raising his rump and helping to further spread the supple thighs he’d been kneading moments before. 

“ _P-please_...”

Settling behind the mewling creature he’d ensnared, the Galran carefully took hold of his purpling length, his right hand carefully holding it whilst his left rested on the omega’s hip; slowly, his self-control at breaking point, his knot already building, the alpha pressed the swollen tip at the puckered entrance. Then, a breath sucking between clenched teeth, the fur-coated alpha pushed steadily forward, his keen gaze watching as the reddened circle struggled to consume him.

Grunting at the initial resistance, the stronger male butted and jutted against the slickened orifice before baring his teeth and thrusting; his prize yowled when the helm sank into the dizzying heat, the rest of his member following until his reached the membrane that would be torn by him and him alone.

“ **Mine** ” he breathed as he leaned forward, his arms bracing and securing the slighter shoulders of the omega beneath him, his mouth latching onto the beading mating glands; at the relieved sigh which relaxed the younger man, the Galran slammed his rut extended fangs deep into the human’s neck as his hips rushed forward. 

Snarling, Sendak allowed his eye to fully roll back as the tight, insatiable heat engulfed him and sucked him in deep; licking and thoroughly enjoying the rich, adrenaline spiked taste that swirled around his mouth, the older began a slow, _deep_ rhythm. The omega’s stuttered cries made for the most beautiful music as he continued to rock, his hips pressing in deeper with each hip jarring movement, his hands tightening to the point of bruising until he could take no more.

Locking his jaw, the younger man’s cry like a siren’s call, the Commander started to slam against the soft cheeks of his conquest's rump, his knot becoming harder and thicker with each snap of his hips; then, his eye widening, he angled the omega’s body and thrust for all he was worth.

“Ahh! Ahh! Aaahhhh!”

Roaring, his right hand jamming under the mattress to hastily tug at the omega’s weeping member, Sendak clenched his teeth and, using the momentary lessening of the tightness around him, the stronger male rotated his hips and vigorously rubbed his knot against the slick until, with one hard push that had Shiro wailing, the Galran finally sank into the heat that engulfed him with all the force of a starved mouth.

Huffing, the taller of the pair somehow managed not to collapse upon the omega as the dark haired male came a second time, his rutting channel clenching and milking the knot it’d captured as his member leaked cum onto the bed.

It was then, at the moment when they crashed, that Sendak knew he’d not be releasing his little human and that Zarkon would be _greatly_ displeased...

As his eyes fluttered closed, his arms curling possessively about the still trembling body beneath him, the alpha found that he could care less.

His allegiances, it seemed, were very much changed.


	16. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> No real warnings here (aside from bad language/yelling); papa-Shiro makes sure of it! ; )

“You... _you_ can’t be serious...” 

Two days had passed since Hunk and Keith and thrown Sendak into their Leader’s room, two whole days of wondering, worrying and monitoring the situation to ensure that the Galran did nothing other than _help_ their friend through a potentially fatal consequence of his gender.

Therefore, when the Commander emerged from Shiro’s room, his collar deactivated (“tch, did you truly expect such ancient technology to subdue me?”) with the slumbering omega curled in his arms and announced that he would join the Voltron Alliance, everyone (Mice included) fell to the floor in shock.

“You would turn my assistance away?” the magenta creature asked as they sat around the dinner-table; “then I believe I should merely request asylum, then” he shrugged, his flesh hand offering the dozing male another spoonful of the green-nutrient paste which he gladly accepted with a contented sigh.

“B-but you... and Shiro... and _Zarkon_ and...” Lance (having woken up from his cryo-sleep, freaked out, fought with Keith and joined him in prowling around the corridors) sputtered, his hands gesticulating wildly. “And... I’m sorry, but this is _really_ distracting... is he ok? Did the _heat_ do something to his brain? Holy fuck! Were you too late or...”

“Hm? Do you know so little about your own kind, _child_?” Sendak snipped, another spoon presenting itself for the omega to take; “his body is going through what we refer to as the _haze_... he’ll be himself again as of next cycle” he relayed with a snort. “This is merely the result of his hormonal imbalance settling whilst his body adjusts to nurture the cub he’s carrying” he added when everyone within the chamber stared at him with increasingly enlarging eyes.

“Must you gawk so openly?” he sniffed before scooping up a mouthful for himself from the same spoon; “tch, it is as though none of you have seen a mated pair before” he furthered with a shrug, his face becoming more and more displeased when the other’s continued to gawk at him. 

“ _Mated... **pair**_?!” Keith close to screeched, his body standing so quickly that his chair tipped over and clattered onto the marbled floor; “you _bastard_! You were only meant to...”

“You think me so _villainous_ that I’d rut an omega like some heathen animal and abandon him and my get?!” the Galran cut in, his snarl menacing whilst he curled his _Altean_ arm more securely around _his_ yawning, sleepily blinking mate. 

“Well! Yeah!” both younger alphas called out in unison whilst Lance moved to stand and mirror Keith’s annoyed posture; “this was _not_ supposed to happen! You’re our enemy!” the longer haired of the two interjected.

“Damn-straight he is! You’re a guy who has, like, tried to kill us _several_ times!” the Blue Paladin reminded; “we can’t trust you in general, let alone not trust you to... oh, I don’t know, steal the Lions and use Shiro as a hostage!”

“Preposterous!” Sendak countered, his fangs flashing; “I could no sooner deliver my mate to someone who would cause him harm than _you_ could survive in space without an enviro-suit! I...”

“N’more yelling” a exhaustion softened voice yawned out, its presence causing everyone in the room to snap their attention to the Black Paladin who stretched lightly before curling more deeply into the Galran’s (thankfully amour-less) chest. “S’too loud... an’ he’s gonna stay, we’re gonna... gonna _beat_ Zarkon and he’ll help us do it... s’no more alpha shoutin’, okay?”

And, just like that, the whole room quieted; the matter, it seemed, was resolved and the meal resumed for, as a _pack_ , their omega’s rule was law.

Allura and Coran merely exchanged glances, shrugged and begrudgingly accepted that _this_ was happening.

This was happening...


	17. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: angst, hormone-related mood-swings, topping from the bottom, being naked, purring**
> 
> : )
> 
> Oh guys, I'm so glad you like this thread; I might separate it into it's own drabble-based fic if it continues to progress!
> 
> Thanks for the support! (We really need more Shendak!)

Waking up (sated, happy, _warm_ ) cuddled into some amazingly soft, lightly musked fluffy fabric and feeling as though he’d never be more safe, more secure then _right here_ was, Shiro thought, a weird way to wake up on the Castle of Lions.

However, with a yawn, a light stretch and a contented sigh, the human found that he could care less, until...

“You are well?”

Eyes snapping open, a trill of shock spurring him into action, the Black Paladin yelped and almost tumbled off his bed; a magenta, _furred_ arm tightening its grip about his waist was the only thing preventing him from face-planting the ground.

O-oh... oh _God_...

“Breathe... that’s it, _slowly_ ”

Swallowing thickly, the voice that his hind-brain identified as alpha, as _mate_ , rippled over him and soothed the panic that would have (ordinarily) spurred him into activating his Galra-implant, turning and smashing his fist into his attacker’s face.

Wait... 

“W-what’s going on?” he whispered, his eyelids screwing shut when a wave of dizziness had him slumping back against (what he now knew to be) a well-muscled, plush chest; “I... you... I don’t...”

“I am going to lay you on your back, alright?”

Trembling slightly (his psyche warring between common sense and damned, _stupid_ post-knotting omega contentment), Shiro felt himself nod and _manage_ to restrain the moan of pleasure he felt at being so gently handled by his mate. 

**His** _mate_...

“S-Sendak?” he murmured, the Galran now pressed (probably uncomfortably) against the cabin-bed’s wall as he looked down at him; “o-oh God... it was the _heat_ wasn’t it? Something wasn’t right...” he added, his eyes closing again with fatigue.

“A-and now I’m... you... _we’re_ ” he chuckled, the sound a little broken; “ _shit_... how in the universe did this happen? I was _never_ going to let an alpha take me, let alone _bite_ me and... wait” he said, his whole body freezing, his distress causing Sendak to grunt and jerk with worry.

“D-did you... _knot_ me?”

“I...”

“Oh fuck! You did, didn’t you? Of course you did! God! I probably begged you to, didn’t I?” the human gasped, his body moving to wrestle (a thoroughly stunned, blinking) Galra Commander onto the bed, his naked body straddling the other’s (equally bare) hips as he glared down at him, his quintessence hand activating.

Swallowing, the part of him that was a warrior, a _survivor_ demanding that throw the little up-start off and thrash him being _undeniably_ crushed by his alpha instincts (you never harmed your omega, they were _sacred_ ; if it was Shiro’s will that he die then so be it), Sendak braced himself for the worst.

But the blow never came; the glowing, purple fingers were, instead, gently clearing away a patch of fur which coated the juncture where his neck met his shoulder on the right-side. “I think that should do it” the younger murmured before leaning back, his face stern; “I want you to fuck me, right now, so we can solidify this bond” he stated, his words causing the Galran to baulk, his jaw loosening.

“Y-you’re accepting me?” he breathed, a shudder of want, need, _longing_ surging through him; “but you...”

“Look” the omega huffed, his face determined; “this isn’t going to be easy, this isn’t what either of us have ever wanted _but_ it’s done, I can _feel_ you in my head and now I’m... well” he broke off, an expression of vulnerability creasing him (and making Sendak want to wrap him up in his arms) as he flesh hand touched his (still toned) abdomen. “I’m carrying the child we made” he said before, another u-turn of emotions causing the Commander to choke with shock, the glowing hand returning to his neck; “and I’m _not_ doing this by myself!”

“I-I... I would never...”

“And then there’s Voltron and the Empire to worry about” he seethed, his eyes narrowing; “I’m not going to be able to pilot Black in a few months time which is going to put us at a severe disadvantage” he furthered, his right brow quirking. “So you _are_ going to help us out by pinpointing targets to destroy and you _are_ going to advise us and engage in our battles against Zarkon until his Empire topples and we free all of those he’s enslaved, do you understand?”

“Y-yes, I have already spoken with the Altean Princess...”

“ _Allura_ ” the younger insisted, his face smoothing out to allow a gentle smile to tug at his lips; “huh, so that wasn’t a dream, you have been eating meals with them... good” he sighed before, with a stretch, he deactivated his arm and ran his fingers across the soft tufts a of fur coating the other’s chest, his smile deepening at the purr his motions caused.

They could make this work, he decided, they could make this great.


	18. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> Ooohhhh? Did someone say double-update? ; )
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: a smidge of angst, _attempted_ humour...**

Adopting a pack made up of humans, Alteans and one hot-blooded hybrid was, Sendak would admit, not _entirely_ terrible.

“Hey! What have I told you about touching my stuff, huh?!”

Well, _most_ of the time...

Sighing, his hulking form having walked in on yet another argument between the two juvenile alphas, the former Commander sucked in a breath and replayed, in his mind, Takashi’s words to him the _last time_ he’d picked them up by their scruffs and locked them in cryo-pods to cool off.

‘ _What? You can’t just _put them away_ when they annoy you, Sendak... Now go on, get them out and try to _talk them through_ what’s happened... and don’t you look at me like that, mister... Just think of this as practise for when our own kids are acting up, I mean, you’re not going to put them into stasis whenever they argue, right?_ ’

The pluralisation of the noun ‘kid’ (which wasn’t, as his translator had so wrongfully stated, an infantile-goat) had filled him with such delirious pleasure (his mate _desired_ multiple offspring with him) that he’d fished the pair out of their punishment and gladly sparred with them in the training room until they both broke down and apologised. 

However, this issue seemed to be a little more challenging than last time.

“It wasn’t me, you jerk! Why the hell would I even...”

Taking in a deep-breath, Sendak steeled himself and approached the bickering pair, their heads snapping towards him whilst their legs (which had been poised to continue the _ridiculous_ kicking match that’d been circling the Bridge if Coran’s look of exasperation was anything to go by) halted (at the sudden imbalance, the loudest human toppled).

“Ow! Ah! See what you’ve done now?” Lance snapped whilst Keith smirked and loomed over him, his position smug; “ugh! And now someone’s sent _Galra-dad_ to check up on us... hey! _Hey_! Don’t go scampering away Coran! We all know it was you...”

“Just like you _know_ that I was the one who took your _precious_ space-rock?”

“Of course it was you!” the younger countered as he rolled to stand; “who else would...”

“I grow tired of this” the former Commander cut-in, his arms (sure, he missed the quintessence-deadly prosthetic the Druids had supplied him with; however, he could not hold, pet or _fondle_ his mate if he still had it and so he wasn’t too perturbed) crossing whilst he levelled them with an unimpressed look. “What causes you to quarrel now?”

“Keith is a lying, cheating little sneak! That’s what!” the slightly younger hissed; “when we attacked and destroyed that top-secret Galra base last week Hunk found a pile of crystallised quinte-what-ever and gave me a piece” he furthered, his anger strengthening when the hybrid rolled his eyes. “Now it’s gone and Keith is the _only_ guy we know who can touch that stuff and absorb it...”

“Tch! So I what? Broke into your room and ate it? Is that what you’re saying?!”

“There! You see! He’s admitted it!” the Blue Paladin almost crowed, his right hand pointing dramatically; “nobody said _anything_ about eating it!”

Looking from the pair (who were edging closer to each other once more) to the long-suffering Altean (who seemed to be _twitching_ a little less around him), Sendak huffed out a: “quintessence is ethereal in nature so it has more than likely evaporated into particles” he said, his words stopping another shoving attempt. “Have you contacted the Yellow Paladin? Are his crystals similarly missing?”

“I, well! Ahh... ugh... huh” Lance sputtered, his anger melting away as he cocked his head to one side, regarded Keith with a narrow eyed glare, and made towards the exit; “Galra-dad better be right, mullet!” he called whilst ambling purposefully through the Bridge’s gleaming-white doors. “Cus if he isn’t, it’s on!”

“Ha! What’s on? Me kicking your ass?” the hybrid taunted whilst the slightly taller teen flipped him the bird as the oldest of the room’s occupants resisted the urge to do something that the Yellow (no- _Hunk_ , he reminded himself; Takashi always smiled that much brighter when he addressed their adopted cubs by their given names) may not thank him for. 

“You two have the potential to be great warriors and allies” he mused to the hybrid (whilst an increasingly more relieved Coran went back to his business; the comments about the Galran crystal almost _destroying_ the Castle were also decreasing in frequency) who blinked at him.

“Tch, not when he...”

“However, legends say that Lor- _Zarkon_ (he was still getting used to the difference; thousands of years worth of loyalty and service could not be forgotten so easily _but_ the gentle encouragement and acceptance of his mate was getting him there) and King Alfour held similar potential” he mused, his words causing Keith to pause, his smirk dropping.

“Perhaps, since your blood is of superior stock, you’d think on this before giving in to such childish fights in the future, Keithra” he furthered, a flicker of satisfaction sparking in him when the Red Paladin stiffened.

“Y-you... how did you, that name, that’s what my... but you _couldn’t_...”

“Your heritage is obvious” the older shrugged whilst turning to make his own way out; “the name, I suppose you couldn’t know, not if Takashi’s previous ignorance of Galrans is anything to go by, is similarly an easy thing to guess as it clearly sounds so similar to an Earth designation” he added whilst the doors open, their eyes locking when he turned his head.

“Reflect on what I have said and, should you wish to speak to me further, you only need ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Galra-dad is best dad! : )


	19. Redemption is a Strange Thing (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
>  
> 
> **No warnings here... just... well, read it and see!**
> 
>  
> 
> So, this is the last time I'll update this Redemption fic here...
> 
> Because I'm going to give it its own place on the Archive! : )

Fidgeting with her glasses, her eyes sneakily glancing from the data-pad she’d been trying to study to the omega (his Galra-implant hand resting protectively over his abdomen) who’d just entered the Bridge, Pidge tried _desperately_ not to give herself away, however...

“Hey Katie, you okay?”

Shiro wasn’t their first Space-Dad for nothing...

Swallowing (and quickly looking around to make sure that her fellow Paladins weren’t snooping anywhere nearby), the young femme pulled herself up and out of the control-station she’d been allocated to amble her way over to the twenty-four year old, her cheeks pinking slightly.

“Well...” she began, her hands wringing sheepishly behind her back; “I... um, it’s just... I’ve read so much about omegas and biology and” she stammered, the blush she wore deepening. “Not that I want to pry, or anything, but I was hoping, urgh, I mean _wondering_ if you would... umm... let me monitor the baby... Ah! And you too, of course” she added, her voice pitching when the older human blinked at her. “I’ve unlocked so many great, totally non-invasive scanners and equipment from the Castle’s infirmary and I...”

“Whoa, Katie... that...”

“... just really, you know, want to make sure that you’re both alright because, well, my uncle on my mom’s side, he is an omega and sometimes he got really sick with stress and I...”

“...would be wonderful.”

Cutting herself short at his utterance, her eyes widening whilst the rest of her body seemed to deflate with a combination of joy and relief, the fourteen year old breathed out a; “really?”

Chuckling, his arms opening to allow her access, the Black Paladin hugged his youngest pack-mate warmly as she returned the gesture. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this Pidge... being mated and pregnant is tough enough without, you know, being in space and surrounded by crazy purple-people who want to steal my magic lion” he chuckled, his tone becoming more incredulous by the second as she laughed along with him.

It was _actually_ crazy when you stopped to think about it...

Not as crazy, however, as what happened later that evening when the young scientist (her head already spinning with several ways to take the readings she’d need to ensure Shiro and his Galra-human child were healthy and well) was humming her way to the Green-Lion’s bay.

“I would have words with you, if I may?”

Yelping, her body jerking in shock (the Castle’s corridors were whisper quiet when they weren’t either actively chasing or being chased by Zarkon’s forces), Pidge spun to see their newest pack-member (who towered over everyone, sure, but her more so) approaching her, his face impassive.

“Umm... sure?” she replied through a thick swallow, her hands only twitching near her bayard (as opposed to grabbing it like she’d done during his first few days of freely roaming their space-ship-den; she was incredibly proud of herself for that (even as her hind-brain screamed at her to run).

“My mate has told me of your proposition” Sendak stated, his natural eye narrowing slightly as he stopped a good few feet away from the clearly nervous human (he’d have to work on that); “I wanted to pass on my thanks” he continued, his own posture relaxing when the young femme’s slight frame similarly eased.

“Oh? Err... um, sure, you’re welcome” she stated whilst timidly playing with her glasses in the way that his mate had assured him was endearing and _not_ because she was injured or hurt.

Humans and their mannerisms; would he ever understand them?

“It is customary” he added; “in my culture to return a favour for a favour or a gift for a gift” he said, his flesh hand raising to tap his cyborg eye. “I have often caught you scrutinising this and, although I can offer you little explanation as I am merely its beneficiary, you are welcome to take what scans or data you would like from this ocular implant” he stated, his ears flattening when their (currently) youngest cub let out a squeal.

“Are you well, or...”

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Really?! You mean it?” the little femme cried, her legs rushing towards him as he stuttered and almost faltered; “oh wow! _Wow_! Here, just hold still while I...”

And, just like that, the former Commander of Zarkon’s most elite fleet, an alpha feared across the cosmos, found himself standing in a corridor of little remark with a happily chirping girl clambering all over him like a wild Vesliket, her hands touching, prodding and poking away around his sensitive ears and face whilst she scanned and took readings.

To his perplexed mind, the siren calling them to battle couldn’t have been more accurately timed...


	20. Lost in Translation (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alpha!Sendak/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Rating: Explicit
> 
> Summary: During the Kerberos Mission, the Holt’s and Shiro are abducted; however, unlike the show, their Galra captors can’t understand English. They do, however, appear to know _exactly_ what omegas are and consider them a rare, valuable prize if all of the jewellery he’s been smattered with was anything to go by. Also, fortunately or unfortunately for the small crew’s pilot, it would seem (by the way they all literally pawing over him) that they’re biologically compatible; stranded on a space-ship travelling light years away from Earth was one thing _but_ having a hoard of tall, fur-laced and fanged mouthed alphas courting him was quite the other...
> 
> **Warnings include: Non-con and dub-con, alien-anal-probes (yep, I went there... this is an alien-abduction story, remember?)! Alpha-possessiveness, creepy-Druids, cultural differences, in a Universe where English _isn’t_ the only language (le gasp), poor-Shiro, prize-Shiro, jewellery, gifts, courting (Galra style!), forced-orgasms, unwanted-touching, heat-cycles, mating, rutting, biting, knotting, m-preg, Sam and Matt Holt are through with your shit! Smug Sendak is best Sendak!**

Sobbing tiredly, his hips desperately wriggling under the slow, _deep_ thrusts of the long, thick, artificial erection rutting into him, Shiro couldn’t help but writhe and screw his eyes shut when the machine started to increase its pace once more.

“ _P-p-please..._ ” he gasped, the murmurs of (what he assumed to be) scientists ghosting around him inside the large, sterile chamber providing him little comfort as they continued to probe him with, he could tell, a wider audience viewing from the plethora of glass windows above the metal bench he’d been strapped to, chest down. “ _I... I can’t..._ ”

But it was useless, of course; in the two, possibly three days since his abduction the twenty-three year old had yet to encounter any of the (predominantly purple) aliens who could understand a word of what he was saying; it was hopeless, stupid to even try...

“ _Nnnggghhhh..._ ”

God... just how many times were they going to make him cum? He felt like a damned cow being milked whilst the strangely soft sheath wrapped about his dying erection continued to suck the last dregs of his pleasure out of him.

Shit, his dopamine addled mind counted five orgasms including this one; he supposed, in a way, he should feel _luckily_.

At least he wasn’t in _heat_ , at least it was his anal passage and prostate they were manipulating; heh, he’d probably not be thinking so optimistically later when he couldn’t sit down...

“Tch pois-chette ysu eusjjj olsho, ished pah?”

Blinking dazedly, Shiro felt a cool, clawed hand stroke through his forelocks before (almost gently) cupping his face; at the gesture, he carefully opened his eyes and saw something akin to a water-bottle being offered.

Gasping (with a mix of relief tinged exasperation), the pilot eagerly accepted the drink, his eyes widening further when the belts securing him to the bench were removed and two tall, wraith-looking creatures gently (oh so very carefully) eased him up and pulled him to a shaky stand, their weird hands grasping his biceps to keep him steady.

“W-what’s happening?” he asked, his face turning from one strange, masked creature to the other whilst the purple-people only clothed in medical regalia continued to busy themselves with the equipment they’d assaulted him with. “Please... I don’t understand...” he added before, with a yelp, they effortlessly lifted his naked body off the floor and started to _glide_ him towards the exit; if he wasn’t so exhausted, embarrassed and boneless from the aliens’ _investigation_ of his anatomy, he would have tried harder to fight.

However, his body peppered with sweat, his toes hovering inches above the gleaming metal floors and the scent of alphas (so many, so strange, so _familiar_ ) hitting him like a hammer to the face when the doors to the medical-chamber _swished_ open, Shiro was finding it difficult to keep his eyes open, let alone struggle.

“Geest rhet che-pahhh sut?”

Blinking, the young human thought, for a second, that the being talking had been addressing him.

“Rhet sut kkrat sen-et-saptz.”

But, after somehow mustering the strength to look up, the omega felt his stomach flip for there, their eyes roving all over him, was a pack of alphas (all similarly dressed in what he assumed was a military uniform, the slight differentiation of colours undoubtedly signifying rank) with one tall, lizard-like alien at the fore.

The alien who’d been on the screen he’d stared at when he and the Holt’s’ were first captured, the one who’d ordered the rifle-butt to silence him; when it looked his way, he tried his best to scowl thunderously: “I’ll be sure to pay you back for that when I can” he stated, his utterance causing the group to angrily jostle at the creature in question.

Were... were they mad at that guy too?

“Zek cha boku-nul sat?”

This time, there was no doubt that the words were directed at him; glaring (sure, the bruising (along with any other damage) had been healed after he’d woken up in a strange pod-device but that was besides the point) Shiro ground out a blunt “I do not understand what the hell you’re saying! How are you not noticing this?!”

“Hee-ck, tch’nal cat-na... boku-nul s _e_ t” the masked being which held him on his right side decreed, its words causing the pack of men (varying from six feet to eight, not noted glibly) to bow their heads with a mixture of disappointment and grief. Then, all taking a further bow, they slammed their left fists to their chests, barked a (quite frightening; God, his nerves were beyond frayed by now) “ **vrepit sa!** ” and began marching away. 

“What?”

“Tuch-ee et ran ke-ro” the being on his left murmured in what the human thought (hoped) were meant to be soothing tones before, without having to communicate to each other, the pair seamlessly glided him down the now alpha-free corridor, their only witnesses the soul-less, purple visored robots which lined the well-lit passage.

Then, in what felt like seconds, they stopped outside another set of doors (and how the hell anyone could tell the difference inside this behemoth of a ship, especially since every exit and entrance looked exactly the same) which drifted open to reveal...

“A spa?”

Well, that was the only thing he could liken it to; there were a set of baths overflowing with steamy-water, the scent of clean, sweetness wafted through the light vapours misting the whole area, an assortment of metal bars and curves offering towels, shower-head fixtures sprouting from the ceiling and all four walls...

Why in the world would a battle-ship full of military personnel have such an area?

Frowning suspiciously, the omega blinked when he was gently lowered to the wet (but not slippery), tiled floor, his arms released to allow one of his escorts to float out of the room as the other made a light, _shooing_ gesture at him before motioning to the room at large.

“Ke-ro, zed ent ach mo se-e, vro-pa... vro-pa...”

Sighing (although the thought of soaking in one of those tubs was sending a rousing applause through his hind-brain), Shiro begrudgingly limped his way to the closest bath, his eyes skimming over various bottles, clothes and sponge-like things _hovering_ on a tray next to it.

“Ghek trosh-na, ke-ro?”

Yelping (and quickly skirting away from the hands reaching to either help him in or drown him), the omega shook his head at the masked-thing and, those creepy black sleeves halting, he then carefully lifted his left leg into the (shit, a lot deeper than he was expecting) surprisingly non-boiling water. Once done, he made short work of lowering himself into the expansive, large hot-tub like pool which continued to bubble up and over the side.

“Sh-pah?”

“If you’re asking me how awesome this feels... well, it doesn’t make up for what you just did to me, or kidnapping either... but... other than that? This is _amazing_ ” he found himself murmuring, his head and neck easily slotting into a pillowed grove made for the purpose. “Ugh... I... is there something in this? I can’t... everything is...”

“U-oshh, u-oshh... set nen e paa, ke-ro...” 

His eyelids... they felt so heavy and yet his body... it was so light... and long, clawed fingers were brushing through his forelocks again before smoothing over temples, cheeks and jaw.

“U-oshh...”


	21. Lost in Translation (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: abduction, non-con-non-sexual touching, imprisonment, angst, language barrier, leering!**

Waking with a start, his body and mind jerking upon a plush, warm surface, Shiro felt himself doing a double-take as he sat upright to find himself laid out across what looked to be a giant cushion enshrouded by multitudinous, sheer violet drapes.

“Vezsh-net ket, ke-ro?”

And he wasn’t alone...

Swallowing (his strange, alien-abduction nightmare still fully intact, still _growing_ ), the omega attempted to peer through the numerous veils at the masked beings that were (oh dear God) encircling his large, plump square of a bed until, with a blink, he finally noticed what he was wearing.

“I... no... this has _got_ to be a coma-dream” he murmured whilst thoroughly inspecting himself; he was dressed in a shimmering black and lilac leotard that was cut in a similar fashion to any number he’d seen being worn by alphas and betas on the wrestling team back the Garrison. However, instead of a vest-top, he had capped-shoulders and what felt (after inspection) a high neck... or a collar; frowning down at the manacles adorning his wrists and ankles, the collar was probably more likely. Then, to top the whole _ensemble_ off, a silky, _translucent_ robe of pearlised-white had been artfully tied around him with a wide-belt of pitch-black and ultra-violet in a mockery of geisha styled kimono. 

Again, how in the world had these creatures rigged such an outfit, such a _room_ , on a military craft?

“Rhet sen kap nat-al, ke-ro?”

Sighing (and somehow resisting the urge to pinch himself; he’d done it to the point of bruising and he was still trapped on this ship, with these people), he managed to shuffle his way across the plump, undulating fabric to slide off the _bed_ , through a parting in the curtains, to stand in the room-proper.

What greeted him was even more surreal than waking on the giant pillow.

“Umm... jewellery?”

“Zret-shren, rift-ta naa et... shrep an... e-taa, e-taa, ke-ro.”

Looking from the range of tables trapping him against his new resting place in a wide, sweeping semi-circle (each loaded with trays of sparkling, glittering pieces and a small, rectangular tablet denoting the strange, edgy writing he’d seen in and about his limited travels on the vessel) to his captors, Shiro quirked a brow when he saw the speaker hold up seven long, crooked, clawed fingers.

“Ugh... I’m not sure what you’re trying to tell me” he offered, his hands gesturing to the plethora of tables; “do you want me to pick some of these to wear? Is that it?” he guessed whilst mimicking the process of selecting and wearing a bracelet. 

“Tech! Tech ke-ro... e-taa, vro-pa, vro-pa” the hooded being seemed to cheer whilst making the same _shooing_ gesture it had when it wanted him to bathe earlier.

“Huh... well, okay” he replied through a tired sigh, his eyes scanning the weird (yet strangely beautiful) collection which ranged from earrings to arm-guards, dainty-chains to globule-like beads, gold to silver and everything in between.

Not being a fan of such wears and, since the customs of dressing omegas up like femmes was a bygone practise back home, Shiro felt himself caught in at another impossible impasse; on the one hand, these beings were being _nice_ to him and jeopardising said kindness by refusing could see him in terrible trouble. However, picking items that seemed to have some significance based on their presentation also posed a problem; what if he selected wrong or offended his hosts or put them on incorrectly? Was he even supposed to put them on? Was he even choosing for himself? Narrowing his eyes critically, he realised that some of the metal bands seemed impossibly big for him to wear, even as a belt...

“Hech maa ten sa-en, ke-ro?”

Huh, and there was that weird _’ke-ro’_ word again; was that a bastardised version of the nickname he’d tried to tell them when it was clear (during the early stages of his capture, before they’d performed the medical scans and separated him from a terrified and worried pair of Holt’s’) that his full name just wasn’t communicable?

Sucking in a breath and attempting to remain calm, the omega offered what he hoped looked like a smile before moving to the right to begin the process.

The being had held up seven fingers, therefore he’d start by taking seven things, seven things that (hopefully) would at least be useful; he started with two matching, decorative armguards which, after gesturing the actions of putting them on, did so when the four aliens nodded vigorously. Then, his eyes watching as they snapped easily in place above his (currently chain-free) shackles (awarding him a modicum of defensive protection) he regarded the items of the table he’d taken from. The chunky-beads, overly shiny broaches, floral-prints and fizzy-orange bangles looked neither functional or in keeping with what he’d been dressed in.

Therefore, with a quick to check he hadn’t caused any outward offence, he looked to the next two tables; from them he plucked two ebony and purple swirled rings which slid down his middle fingers (he’d prefer knuckle-dusters, but he’d make do) and a long, thin, silver chain with a thumb sized azure rock which pulsed and glowed when he’d touched it.

With five items down, he reviewed the last two tables he was a little disheartened to see that there were no shin-guards, blades or anything he could think to use as weaponry; noticing that all masked faces had zeroed in on him, he went for two other silver necklaces which were shorter than the first (and each other) with two smaller stones each (one petrol-blue, one gunmetal grey). 

“Umm... is this okay?” he tried, his body twitching a little when all four of them started tittering excitedly at once; then, their cloaks fluttering in their wake, three of them started to pack up the tables whilst the fourth beckoned him to follow.

Swallowing down his nervousness (the Garrison had steeled him, prepared him to face the unexpected with bravery and courage; he was their poster child, the first omega to go to space, after all) Shiro followed, his eyes keeping tabs on the floating (that _still_ freaked him out) beings whilst they efficiently packed what he hadn’t chosen away. 

Then, to his surprise, he wasn’t walked to a corridor _but_ into what he guessed to be an elevator; “ugh, do I go alone?” he asked, his eyes briefly widening when the alien stepped back out. “Ah... there aren’t any buttons, so... oh, okay, never mind-“ he cut off, the doors clanging shut to seal him inside the circular chamber which, expectedly, began to ascend.

Sucking in a breath to steady himself and calm his nerves, the human tried to prepare himself for what would greet him when the doors parted; a brothel? A harem? An arena? A flight-deck? The Holts? 

God, he knew it was a long-shot, but he prayed that it’d be Sam and Matt who’d greet him...

“Tzek nap-can taa’ek sh-oo-ta, ke-ro!”

Blinking, the loud-speaker above the door making him jump with its exclamation, Shiro felt the ground he stood on halt before, to his bemused horror, the scent of alphas started filling up the air, the strength of it making him a little dizzy.

‘Oh shit’ he thought, his feet backpedalling to the wall behind him; ‘oh God, oh no, it is a brothel... fuck, I... I can’t...’

However, before his mind could imagine the worst, the elevator opened to reveal not some sleazy, smoke and pheromone choked room filled with dull-eyed femmes and omegas with their grubby, leering patrons _but_ something closer to a small conference room.

A conference room with a long, oval table which had tall, varying-purple, furred and lizard-like alphas sat upon seven of the nine chairs available; there was an empty chair directly before him and another empty chair at the head of the table.

Wait a second... _seven_ alphas, seven alphas who all looked distinctly pleased, their eyes (from luminous yellow to sultry amber) all tracking across his body...

‘Oh _shit_ ’ his mind unhelpfully supplied; the jewellery he’d selected had to correspond to each of the tall (Jesus... _so_ tall) men who regarded him, the smiles and smirks playing on their lips making their intentions _crystal_ clear.

Did... did this mean that their species was compatible with humans? Or... did they just enjoy rutting with omegas wherever they could be found? 

Growing up, he’d always been told that his gender was rare and, as an adult, he appreciated that contributing only 5% to the world’s population meant that he’d get a lot of attention but now, from the way those aliens were virtually undressing him with their eyes, he guessed his kind were rare all over the galaxy.

‘Why couldn’t I just have been a beta?’ he thought when, after foreign words failed to coax him out, one of his robe-cloaked _nannies_ was sent to fetch him. ‘Not an alpha, no, I would have been quite happy _just_ to be a regular guy but _no_ , here I am, an omega, on a space-ship surrounded by alphas from another planet, hell, _planets_ who look like bending me over this damned table is the best plan they’ve come up with all year...’

“Ru-pah nennet san, ke-ro.”

Trying his best not to shudder (or retaliate; the last time he’d tried they’d just tittered and simply knocked him out with a touch) when the masked-alien cupped his shoulders with taloned fingers, the human allowed himself to be manoeuvred to the nearest seat (which almost dwarfed him) before sitting down.

So... now what?


	22. Lost  in Translation (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: angst!**

When the floating, spectre-like alien ghosted away from his chair, Shiro (after a nervous swallow or two) found that sitting stiffly in the plush, large chair and merely flitting glances at his hosts didn’t seem to be causing him any problems and so, his resolve strengthening, he began his analysis of the alphas encircling him.

The tallest, he thought, was around the eight-foot mark; to say that their bulk and size was intimidating was an understatement, however, being an omega of the modern-age meant that he, himself, was no shrinking violet in terms of height and broad shoulders (although his tapered waist and long, lean legs were still a giveaway to his gender). 

In terms of diversity, the aliens ranged from feline to reptilian, lilac to mauve, bulky to stream-lined and hideous to, dare he say it, strangely attractive?

 _’Great... nice to know that Stockholm Syndrome can kick in even before a week is over... Jesus, if it’s been less than a week’_ he thought, his careful investigation continuing as the men began to talk (in the same gruff language) amongst themselves.

A few of them wore predominantly black armour accented by ultra-violet markings on the chest-piece whilst the majority (who all seemed bigger, broader and enhanced by machinery and or implants in some way) were sporting crimson breast-plates with yellow, gleaming gashes glaring outwardly like menacing eyes. 

So, altogether, neither frightening nor intimidating...

“ **Gratt-ne taa-naz, kah ooh-waa nen!** ”

Yep, not scary at all.

Jerking despite himself, his eyes narrowing in a mixture of shock and horror, one of the taller aliens had leaned across the table to snag something from one of the three bowls of (he assumed to be) fruit at the structure’s centre, his clawed fingers making short work of what seemed to be tough rind until a bright pink, softer flesh was revealed. Then, his giant, fanged maw prizing open, he took a large bite out of the strange, cake-like structure before, to the human’s astonishment, the lizard-man turned mismatched eyes towards him and thrust the now oozing _food_ in his immediate direction.

Blinking owlishly, his head snapping from the gooey offering, to the male, the onlookers, his _nanny_ and back again, the expression of revulsion he was surely wearing must have been enough of an answer because most of the alphas started laughing whilst the guy still holding the _thing_ snarled, smushed it into the table, stood and began to lumber his towards the exit.

‘ _Oookay..._ ’ Shiro thought, a nervous sweat peppering his brow; he remembered from mandatory history classes that certain cultures on Earth held mating rituals which involved the sharing of food and, if he was right, then he’d just dodged one big, ugly, rotund looking bullet...

“Shrep na-kennn srat ru, ke-ro?” 

Sighing, his chaperone once more at his side whilst a creature roughly his size (down-trodden, weary, wearing a black jumpsuit and dark-purple tunic) cleaned up the cakey-pink mess, Shiro looked up at the mask with what he hoped looked like a plea for help.

“Please, I don’t understand... I don’t know what you want me to do or where my friends are or where we’re going and now... why are these alphas here? What are they gawping at? Is this some kind of... _mating_ thing? Because I’m flattered, I am, but I’m not interested” he said, his hands gesturing as he talked, his shoulders sagging.

“I... I just want to go home” he tried again, his nerves temporary fraying, his lips close to quivering which, to his further shock, resulted in all talk ceasing, all six of them turning their various eyes upon him; at their searching, piercing gazes, he almost lost what little grip on his emotions he had, until...

“Chek-netta zwepps can et set-na, Druidz?”

Blinking, his tears hopefully receding, Shiro found his eyes (along with everyone else’s) moving to the doors the fruit guy had stormed out of, his jaw slackening when, to his escalating joy, a tall, cat-eared alpha with plush looking fur and a neutral expression had entered; behind him stood...

“Shiro!”

“Sam! Matt! Thank God!” he found himself saying, his body standing (before his _nanny_ grabbed his shoulder and forced him to sit again with a strength he should have registered, should have found terrifying) whilst the pair (both wearing chained-collars on tight leashes) tried to look around their imposing captor. 

“Are you alright?!” the three asked in unison, their exchange causing mutterings from the seated alphas whilst the one holding his friends’ chains strode in as though he owned the place, a critical, powdered-lemon eye observing him whilst the orange of his bionic eye flashed.

“Gret-roo pah natt en sa-at, se-at Zretkhan Sendak” his chaperone cut through, that crooked finger hand briefly wafting over the omega’s mouth as though it wanted to keep him quiet (the tug on his friends’ binds, no doubt, was intended to do the same to them). “Uu-sha nann et rook et-an whoo show nen rap, tru-pah? Zretkhan Branko jet krat mek ken oo-tta shrop nay ke-ro...”

“Tch, grep kanst ettennette Branko sho-pah” the man (now roughly tugging a cringing pair of Holts’ further into the room) grunted, his words causing the other alphas to chuckle and sneer, their heads nodding along knowingly as though some shared joke had been brought up again. 

Not that Shiro could see anything funny about whatever they were chuckling over.

“Shret-nen canst rupp retch cann... seh... _go... to... no tou-chck_ ” the broad, muscular man quipped in what all three humans belatedly realised was broken English; at the words, he slackened the chains to allow both Sam and Matt to make a quick but cautious approach.

“T-thank you!” the old beta called with a strange, fist over heart bow, his eyes almost as wild as Matt’s when they stuttered to a stop before the wraith guarding their pilot; “my God, Shiro, we’ve been so worried” he added after the creature hissed something but made no move to swipe at them.

“I’ve been worried sick about you guys too... oh, oh no... Matt, your jaw...”

“Heh... it’s nothing, really” the young alpha murmured sheepishly, his right hand gently tapping at the bruise; “just a little communication error... I think” he tried to soothe, his body stiffening when the masked being hissed at him again and shooed him a little further back.

“Whoa... _whoa_ , I get it, keep away from the ke-ro, I know...”

“What?” Shiro blinked, his gaze switching from the younger Holt to the older; “they keep calling me that... are you, have you been able to talk with them?”

“Not properly, no” Sam sighed, his cracked glasses shimmering under the glaring lights which flooded the chamber; “however, I believe that we’ve made a little progress... they’ve been showing us images of planets from our galaxy in order to chart where we’ve come from... you must be careful, there, Shiro... From what we can ascertain they are incredibly interested in our species because of omegas, what they call _ke-ro_ ” he reasoned. “As I’m sure you’ve guessed, they’re a warrior people with technology that’s centuries ahead of our own... if they managed to successfully find our world I fear that there would be an invasion... an invasion that we’d stand no chance against...”

“Ruck tennent canst ruupp set yen ow” the alpha who’d brought his crew to the chamber called out; “ _bach-k_ ” he ordered with a tug which had the pair yelping and Shiro trying to stand once more.

“No! Wait! Please... please don’t hurt them!”

“We’ll be alright! Just take care of yourself!” Matt called, his body (clad in that same black jumpsuit and dull tunic he’d seen what he thought to be a servant wearing earlier) stumbling back towards the keenly watching alpha.

“Kret ren sutt en rhet pah, ke-ro?” 

Blinking back up to his _nanny_ , the distressed pilot ceased his struggles when he saw that strange, black-lightning energy crackle across the other’s free hand; “what? What do you want?”

“Suuta, Zretkhan Sendak” it said, that clawed appendage pointing at the alpha who seemed to stand a little straighter; “ _a-cce-pp-tt to make... to make... rel-aation?_ ”

Sucking in a breath, his frightened gaze zipping from the Holts’ to the fur coated alien, Shiro found himself nodding (for goodness only knew what would happen to his team if he said no), the motion causing the six alphas to either grunt, sigh or shake their own heads despairingly.

The male, _Zretkhan Sendak_ , simply smirked, bowed at him and made to leave with the human scientists, their eyes wide and parting words scrambled even as they were dragged out of the room.


	23. Lost in Translation (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> Warnings = ANGST!

After the tall, fur ruffed Galra departed with his friends, the other alphas had stood, bowed and also made their way to the exit; what followed, much to his continued surprise, was his nannies gliding in with various platters of multi-coloured foods and a few different bottles of drink.

Watching pensively (his mind still reeling, his heart bleeding for Sam and Matt), Shiro waited (his empty stomach growling when his nose recognised scents that not only screamed edible _but_ delicious) until all four of them started to gesture at the plates and bowls, their crooked fingers waving over spoon-like utensils.

Nodding his understanding (and just how far did their understanding go? They’d used broken English, hadn’t they? Oh God... and to think that they were looking for Earth? That they’d want to invade?), the omega took a deep, steadying breath and began his meal.

Everything (from hot to cold, spicy to cooling, sweet to savoury) was _so_ good; although, his mind supplied numbly, not a patch on the fish-stew is baa-chan and made for him or the curry Adam made for their movie nights...

Oh... _Adam_...

If only he’d stayed at home... if only he’d accepted the alpha’s offer to bond...

But _no_ ; he was only twenty-three and just not ready to start his own family (no matter how close he was with Keith and some of the younger cadets) because he’d wanted excitement, he’d wanted adventure...

Well, wish _fucking_ granted...

“Ghret nen canst shhuttaa, ke-ro?”

Sniffling (shit, was he crying? Damn-it, the last thing he should be showing these people was weakness), Shiro reluctantly took the huge napkin being offered and quickly swiped his face with it; “thanks” he murmured thickly, the resolve he’d learned at the Garrison warring with his fatigue, worry and anxiety. 

“ _R-rest_? Umm, tchu rep-nah?”

Blinking, the doors to the elevator chiming open, the human quickly stood and hurried his way to the empty space, to the brief paradise of being alone in a contraption that was, at least, relatively familiar and away from these creatures and their culture and their staring, luminescent eyes or white, emotionless masks.

The feeling of safety and seclusion, however, was short lived for, within seconds, he was back in the windowless room with its huge, cushion bed, drapes and what he hoped to be a bathroom.

It would really be a shame to be sick after eating such a great meal _but_ his growing nausea and restlessness was making that option all the more likely...

“Come on... come on... keep it together... _think_ ” he berated himself, his eyes shifting around the chamber restlessly as he tried the only other door to find, as he’d thought, it locked. “There’s got to be something you can do... this isn’t a fairy-tale... you are _not_ a princess” he added, a snide little voice which sounded distinctly like Iverson’s snorting and grunting about the jewellery he was currently flaunting.

“Okay... let’s go over the facts” he murmured whilst pacing by the walls, his eyes scanning critically for cameras, secret compartments and any panels he could prize open to examine the circuitry which must encase the mammoth craft he’d been trapped on. “Sam and Matt are alive but they’re being treated very differently to me... the aliens are trying to familiarise themselves with our language and are probably doing that through them... and they can be violent, too” he sighed, his legs returning him to the bed where he slumped. “The white-masks also seem to have some kind of weird, kinetic ability... and all of the alphas are huge... damn-it... I can’t get into the walls and there’s nothing in this place except that damned bed” he finished with a sigh.

So... no tools, no access points and no way of communicating with his crew or the Earth.

Grunting his frustration, the omega found his fingers absentmindedly playing with the bejewelled arm-guards; what to do, what to do...

“Umm... please excuse, ma-ster, but... your attention?”

Somehow withholding his yelp of surprise (Jesus, Iverson would skin-him alive for allowing his mind to wander under such conditions), the twenty three year old sat-up with a jerk and saw that the elevator doors were open. Standing there (looking like a humanoid deer in the headlights) was a short, pale-green _boy_ with large, auburn eyes, a trembling gait, the same black and purple ensemble his friends had worn and a _nanny_ floating behind him.

“Did... did you just speak English?” he breathed with a blink, a tremor of fear tinged relief spiking through him when the short (no taller than an eleven year old) being was ushered into his chamber, a hiss from the white-mask causing him to whimper and kneel.

“H-hey... don’t hurt him, he’s just a kid!” he found himself saying, his body standing and moving before he realised what was happening, his brain seeing Keith (or any number of the young cadets he was responsible for) in the alien’s place; “please... put that power you have away” he furthered when he reached them, his hands waving over the boy who was hiccupping in distress.

“Shret ran-ekk tan kah, sup jjitt ren-pah, ke-ro” the tall, imposing creature rumbled, its mask tilting whilst it scooted back a little; “Jantte, crux-eck fo sham.”

“Sro-quiem, Druidz-hech” the child called through a sniff, his head bowing further; “ma-ster, the Lord Druid has give me ta you... for help” he added, his little form shrinking into himself: “name my is, Jantte, am I Olkarin... I am yours to use as need you... apology much that my skills are better not, this improvement, I am hardest worker.”

Sucking in a breath, his head bowing at the _Druid_ (which tittered in a way which sounded pleased), Shiro watched whilst it hovered back inside the elevator which closed to presumably whisk it away; “hey... hey it’s alright, here, let me...”

“Ahh! No! Please! No touch... I’m unclean, not worthy!” the child yipped whilst skittering away and cowering all the while; “oohhh... I should not look upon Lord ke-ro, forgiveness!”

Sighing, his hands rising in a placating gesture, Shiro took a careful step back: “it’s alright, I’m not going to hurt you... and if I can, I’ll make sure they don’t hurt you either” he promised quietly whilst slowly, calmly moving to kneel. “My name is Shiro, not ke-ro, okay?”

“Jantte simple slave, to use your designation, I can’t not” the smaller of the pair whimpered; “my assigned task is... I can must offer help in understood for you” he breathed, his head almost touching the floor. “your words are hard, forgiveness! Jantte prove best but not good enough... for family, for family I... oohhh! No! I should not say!”

“Whoa... whoa there, shh, it’s okay” the human tried again, his hand hesitantly reaching out only to snap back when the boy cried out in terror before flattening against the ground; “whoa... hey, you have forgiveness, I promise, alright?”

Sniffling, the alien nodded, those huge eyes staring resolutely towards the omega’s knees. “Lord ke-ro is most gracious and beautiful, Jantte could not not be more great-fully” he said in earnest; “Lord Druids says you many questions and worry much... what can we tell you?”

Blinking, his shoulders slumping a little in relief, Shiro sighed softly. “I can’t ask you everything” he stated quietly, his gaze flicking to the elevator doors; “I know that we’re being watched and that you have to be careful... I need to be the same for the sake of my home-planet...”

“B-but, the Ea-rth already belongs to Galra-masters” Jantte interrupted; “all Lord ke-ros are being re-homed with top Commanders as you, Lord ke-ro, are... you have se-van champions competing for your mate with Comm-ander Lord Sendak holding prime position with giftings and mastery of this glaxia” he added whilst the human continued to blanch. “You are first, you are greatest honour... hu-manns are very compat with Galra-masters... high Lord Zarkon is most pleased... Ea-rth is to make for best nursery planet” he added, his eyes shrinking in shock when he dared a glance at his new owner. “T-this... you did not know?”

“N-no... I... I didn’t think that...” he breathed, his voice hitching; “I saw my crew earlier, they didn’t think that...”

“But Ea-rth is only planet in your infant system with live” the younger said; “Lord ke-ro are much desired... finding Ea-rth took little times” he admitted lightly, his voice resigned as though the _Galra-masters_ getting their way was inevitable.

“All become Empire... Lord ke-ro mate should have you many children, strong and brave, to make Empire more stronger... that is why high Lord Zarkon so pleasurable, why Ea-rth people will be given most best consideration” he added with a little nod; “cooperation is best way...”


	24. Lost in Translation (Part 5)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: angst, threats made against a child, slavery**

Talking with Jantte had almost been as surreal and horrifying as the day he was abducted...

“So... I really have no choice, do I?”

They’d probably been together for an hour, possibly longer, both knelt upon the floor, both growing more pale with the passing of each question; an Empire ten thousand years strong, an immortal leader, the conquest of the entire Universe and a shortage of fertile femmes and omegas leading to cloning, cloning that was developing only further problems.

Finding Earth was seen, by many, as a prayer for the Galrans survival answered.

“In mating? No... no Lord ke-ro must... choosing only to for which mate” the smaller male said, his form no longer trembling but he was clearly just as timid, just as scared; “in cycle next... true battle for mateship with Lord ke-ro will begin... all suitor must with time... ugh... with time _you_ and _they_... ahh... hard is it to say” he sighed.

“You mean that I’ll have to spend time with each of them?” Shiro clarified quietly; “so they can try to win me over?”

“Ahh! Win, _yes_ , win is what all want... only one... you, Lord ke-ro, you accept only can... but... Galra-masters use many... ahh... rites? Umm... tests?”

Blinking, Shiro tried to offer a small, stunned smile; “tests, like me picking these?”

“Umm! Yes! First se-van that way... one Co-mma-nder lose through... through trying to make suit, though... and you... Lord Sendak... final suit to be first to... make pick?”

Sighing tiredly, the omega nodded to show that he understood; sadly, Jantte had little knowledge of how the Galra Empire was _claiming_ his home-world, let alone what would happen to the betas and alphas, their human-rights or any rights at all.

How many of his omega and femme cadets were facing situations like his own?

Were they separating mated pairs?

Stealing children from their parents?

God... what a mess...

“I is sorry... you are sad... we was sad... to lose home, to lose what knew... it is all so very, very much sad” the boy whispered; “but... my job is... happy to make... please-please, Lord ke-ro, what do? What do to help sad make happy?” 

Once more attempting to lighten his features, Shiro chewed back any cruel, biting, sarcastic or even honest answers he could give; none of this was the child’s fault and he could only imagine what the masked-people, the _Druids_ would do to the Olkarin should he fail in his tasks.

He could not, _would_ not be responsible for the young aliens suffering.

“Don’t worry Jantte” he said, his tone just as quiet; “you have made me happy, okay?”

“I... ugh... thanks be to you, Lord ke-ro... you are kindness and graces” the younger replied, his head bowing deeply once more; behind him, with a gentle _woosh_ , the elevator doors pulled open to reveal one of the Druids, the _holy_ people of the Empire who oversaw only the most important, biological and _magical_ issues.

“Kret ren shoo-pah wquuenn root sup et, Jantte?”

“Oooksha, Druidz-hech... Ke-ro-hech rootsk ree’t’na ken ezzck...”

Watching the exchange, his new friend’s (“no, _no_ Lord ke-ro... I gift-present, slave is yours”) posture tensing all the while within the ball he’d made of himself, Shiro felt his own unease rising when it hovered a little closer, its right hand peeking out from its cloak to crackle with energy.

“H-hey... whoa there, _whoa_ ” he breathed, hoping against hope that his _value as prime breeding-stock_ would mean that the creature would take notice; “please, don’t, Jantte has done a great job... Jantte, translate what I said to him” he added, his eyes flicking from one to the other.

“K... ke-ro-hech, twwa, ren pah etts-sett-ett, Druidz-hech-h” the boy stated; at his words the mask wearer stopped its movement and, instead, turned to regard him, its form looming up a little higher: “ _y-y-you ple-zed, ke-ro?_ ”

“Yes, yes, _very pleased_ ” he replied with a bow (these beings were used to having deference shown to them from everyone, Jantte had said, even Emperor Zarkon’s elite) which, again, elicited a happy chirp from mystic, the black-energy which had been crackling about its fingers leeching away. 

“ _Bavka_ , swet whettkrackeen frewp” it stated whilst floating back to the elevator; “ _c-ome_.”

Blinking as he pulled himself up to stand (his hands quickly ushering a very grateful translator to stand behind him), Shiro entered the chamber as the smaller alien breathed out at “I am to... keep doing job well... reward... thank you... thank you.”

Giving the child a smile, the omega helped to position him in a place furthest away from the Druid who began a conversation in tones which sounded friendly, _warm_ even.

“Lord Druidz says that... you meet Co-mmand-er Sendak... in... few Earth minutes... Lord Druidz reminds you that... he is most highest, most sort after General... you are first breed-partner he has want claim” Jantte murmured, his volume never nearing that of the stronger being. “Lord Zarkon-so highest-hopes you and he will make mateship, add strong, strong soldiers to Empire... but all other... suit-mates good, strong too... Command-er Sendak is just fav-ourite” he furthered. “In se-van days... suits go down to wan... that wan you are to mateship with... Lord Druidz is joyous... it has been deca-feebes after-before such cer-mony has been held threw-owt whole Empire... They are very joyous at being you-are guardian... they look forward to cubs birthing...”

Swallowing thickly, their bodies still in the elevator (they must have been travelling to another floor altogether), Shiro tried his best to process all of the information, to try and piece what he could together so as to do... God, he didn’t even know, _something_...

“We are here” Jantte announced; “I am wishing you luck... later, I will see you...”

“W-what? You’re not coming with me?” the omega breathed, the doors pulling open. “How will we talk if...”

“There will be... other... to help you” the boy soothed, his body shuffling further back whilst the Druid urged the human to leave; the chamber or hallway beyond the doors was so dimly lit that he couldn’t see anything and there were no scents to follow, either.

“ _G-go ke-ro... he waits-s-s_...”


	25. Lost in Translation (Part 6)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

“You ah fight-ar, yes?”

As _first dates_ went, this one was beyond anything he’d ever encountered before...

“You body, when first met Galra Empire, you form, you strikes... _clearly_ fight-ar, not like the other twos...”

Upon entering the darkness, the elevator (and what relative safety it had afforded him) hushing closed behind him, the chamber, the _arena_ had been flooded with light to reveal the tall, roguishly smirking alpha known as Sendak, his body standing tall as he admired a long, sword-like blade within the grasp of his flesh hand. 

“Take” he instructed, a flick of his wrist sending the lethally sharp weapon cart-wheeling into the air; with a gasp, his Garrison training and role as the on-campus martial arts coordinator kicking in, Shiro managed to snatch the crude handle, his brows rising at how light the metal was. However, before he could process that information (or why the other was hurling sharp things at him) he found himself deflecting a huge, metallic claw practically sizzling with an energy that shook his bones.

“ _Whoa!!_ ”

His bare-feet slipped against the highly polished floor whilst he grit his teeth and tried to turn the blade to a more offensive angle; he’d never encountered a force quite like this and, his eyes narrowing, the laugh reverberating from the _Commander_ let him know just how hilarious the Galran thought his efforts were. 

“Ha! Good! Yes, _most_ good... to start” the taller then chuckled, his tech-based appendage retracting and _almost_ pulling the omega along for the ride; “my mate must strong be” he added before gesturing to the side.

Blinking, his gaze cautiously following that huge, ultra-violet and metal monstrosity that could probably crush him, Shiro felt his hands tightening into fists; it was footage of his capture, more specifically, the time after he’d awoken from being knocked out and he, Matt and Sam were being dragged off to be examined.

“That... what you call _that_?”

Frowning softly, the omega watched himself tear away from the lax hold of the guard, his right leg striking out before a punch sent the taller, armour clad creature flying; he’d then relaxed into several different kata, his motions well practised and effective until the sound of his friends howling in pain froze him in his tracks.

“Karate” he answered grimly; “it’s a style of fighting” he added before, his body moving without his hind-brain clocking just what a fucking, _stupid_ idea this was: “and _this_ is _**kendo**_!!”

Swiping the sword with an accuracy and precision that’d seen him win several tournaments, Shiro found a snarl tripping up his throat when the other (unaffected, unsurprised) easily slid out of the way; it was insane that someone so tall (and with an attachment so bulky) could dodge like that.

“ _Ken_ -do? Hmm... it quite... interest... a shame you are so...” the other managed to articulate as they _danced_ about the glossy floor, the alien blocking and grunting in time with the thrusts and strikes which the younger tried to land; “ _small_...”

Yelping, his body flying back until the heavier form of his enemy pinned him to the ground with a wheeze of his lungs and flail of limbs, Shiro yowled and hissed when that massive, metal palm pressed him down whilst the claws impaled on either side of his head and trapped his arms to his sides. Then, with the strut of a lion approaching fallen prey, Sendak sauntered over to him, his natural eye watching whilst his legs kicked useless amidst the flutter of his fancy (probably ruined) clothes; he could feel the gems of his necklaces pressing painfully against his rib-cage.

“Hmm, yes, small and _soft_... you skin, the Drui-dz say much _soft_... should make for good rutting...”

“Oh yeah?! Well not by you! This is **my** choice, isn’t it?!” the omega heard himself snap somewhere beyond the panic his breathlessness was causing. “Bastard! Let me up!” he demanded, his anger overriding his fear whilst he glared, gun-metal vs. citron, into the ambiguous gaze of the alien towering over him.

Snickering (again, the human was feeling his blood boil at the thought of these creatures, these _Galra_ , finding amusement in his suffering, the suffering of his people) the towering figure huffed and removed the huge, mechanised hand, his smirk pleased. “Fear-less, this I also like much” he stated as the omega scrambled back to his feet, his hands trying to re-work the robes into their original state; right now the seemingly flowing fabric was only getting in his way.

He’d also grabbed the sword back up into his lightly shaking hands.

“I do not like _you_ much” he retorted bluntly, his glare cutting. “Where are my friends? What have you done with them, the Earth?!”

“Fri-ends? _Ea_ -rth?” the purple male close to purred, his grin quirking; “what is these?”

Scowling angrily, his right fist clenching around the sword whilst they began to circle each other, Shiro offered the older his best, unimpressed expression: “don’t play dumb... you know what I’m talking about” he snapped. “You are a Commander, _Zretkhan_ , right? So you must know what’s happening around here!”

“Hn, cle-ver, are you not?” the mauve coloured male chuckled. “Fri-ends are... _working_ , you people are simple but some, some _very_ interest, _useful_ ” he reasoned, the claws of his prosthetic clinking on the blade his prey held whilst he playfully reached out to tap a tune on it. “ _Ea_ -rth is now Galra, _you_ are Galra, whole Universe soon will be” he furthered, his lips parting in a cruel parody of a smile. “Ke-ro are to be a great treasure, treated best, altered to be strong-ar, live long, _many_ cubs” he added; “we thank you, you and you fri-ends, over-look the _Ea_ -rth for many, many y-ears... until _you_ showed way to us...”

“You bastard!” the human spat, his teeth bared whilst he struck out at the gauntlet _fingers_ still dancing their way across the sword; “what gives you the right to...”

“I am **Galra** ” Sendak cut in, his laugh booming in its pleasure; “Galra are to rule, to own, it is only way” he continued before, his wrist flicking to snap the blade Shiro clutched in half, he moved to snatch the omega into his clutches and grinned at the choked snarl he received in exchange. “Now come, we are to feast and I give to you my terms... you will find them best, no other suit-or can match what I give” he commented proudly.

“If not for pride, for _laws_ , we need not waste such time with alphas who not worthy of you...”


	26. Lost In Translation (Part 7) 28.12.18

The meal, as he’d expected, was yet another lavish portrayal of Galran superiority; skittish slaves presented him with delicacy after luxury, water to wine and Sendak himself, his grin the very definition of smug, presided over the whole thing with an arrogant air and a rich gloss to his laughter.

Oh, how he wished that had been the worst of it...

The other Galran alphas, all Generals, Lieutenants or higher, attempted to _woo_ him in much the same manner only, as the bastard who’d smacked him around an arena first had foretold, they hadn’t made the effort to speak English (no matter how broken) and they could only offer him a paltry sample of the (actually, frighteningly amazing) things Sendak could.

In fact, the fur ruffed alpha had genuinely surprised him with what he brought to the table; the holographic projections he’d displayed of Earth, of the ongoing _colonisation_ , meant that he was every bit as good as his word.

He’d offered Shiro a way to look after the human _ke-ro_ as much as the Druids would allow for, a flesh hand rising with goblet in tow, Commander Sendak proclaimed that he governed the territory in which Earth, hell, the whole Milky-Way resided.

As Zarkon’s most senior officer, he could influence the outcome of Shiro’s home and people very easily. 

Which of course meant that he’d been right before, he really had _no_ choice in this matter; shit, what was the alternative? Cut his nose off to spite his face, pick someone else to _mate_ with and hope that the man he rejected treated his planet and people well?

Heh, _no wonder_ the alien men who’d provided him with his jewellery had moaned in dismay upon Sendak’s arrival at their first meeting...

“Ma-ster, you are, un-wiel?”

Blinking (he’d probably been moping on his cushion bed for far too long), the omega turned to see a tired, pensive Jantte stood at the foot of his bed; clearly the poor boy couldn’t or wouldn’t take rest without a direct order from the Druids.

“I can’t even help you, can I?” he heard himself sigh whilst he forced himself to sit up. 

“Ah, Lo-rd Ke-ro, it was mine job to help you, yes? What may I getting for you? It is much late in cycle and next cycle is very big one for you” the young, greenish beta chatted animatedly, his nervous energy heightening now that his _owner_ was finally sitting up and talking again.

He’d been incredibly quiet, _resigned_ , when their overseers had returned him to his chamber an hour or so ago.

“Next cycle? Why, what’s happening then?” Shiro asked, his legs curling into a lotus sitting-position. “I thought that everything was over with... aren’t I going to _pick_ an alpha now?”

“Ahh... only pick from those who live after” the boy tried to explain, his expression paling; “soon, arena to host games will open” he added, his trembling fingers lifting a data-pad for the human to see as he began typing on it. “The games very big, _most_ important since you are first Lord Ke-ro to be taken by Galra masters” he furthered whilst 3D projections lifted off the glass to present the older being with a view of a huge, coliseum styled structure (much larger than the one he’d faced Sendak in).

“Wait... do you mean that, those alphas, they’re going to _fight_ over me? _Literally_?” 

“Yes... see you, here?” the boy pointed, his green digits flowing from spot to spot; “you are to be shown, prized, in that crystal at centre” he said, those auburn eyes keen and worried: “contenders come from those side and largest, scareful beasts roam... you safe, _only_ you safe and fin-al five are ones to whom you pick from.”

Watching, his full-stomach flipping uneasily, Shiro could only gape as footage from what must have been a similar mating-ceremony began to play across the hologram; a short, slender Galran sat demurely inside a jagged, gem structure whilst, all around them, monsters from a child’s worst nightmare fought a plethora of alphas.

There... there was a lot of blood...

“My God...” he breathed.

“Hmm-hmm, now you seeing? Lord Ke-ro are best, most wanted so only few may have... but now, thanks to Ea-rth, more have, more prosperous be... that what Lord Druidz says” Janette murmured whilst trying his best to smile. “You are most brave... you may-be like me to be in choo-sing to helping your people and not just self... we must... strong be to... to make sure... that... they...” he hiccupped as large, shimmering tears bubbled up and out of his eyes.

Gasping at the sight, the omega moved without thinking, his arms latching onto the shorter being and pulling him into a hug so that they could sob together.

And sob they did...


	27. Meant to Be (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Alpha Galra!Keith/Omega Human!Shiro
> 
> Rating: Explicit
> 
> Summary: Set Post-Season 6. After living through a virtual two-year time-skip and becoming eighteen, Keith’s biological clock was ticking ever closer to his first rut; learning that the man he’d known and loved, the omega who’d virtually raised him, was _dead_ and then resurrected after a near fatal battle? Well, that just settled things in the newly adult Galran’s mind; he could not risk losing Shiro again and he would **not** allow the man to go one more day of solitude after being trapped for so long within the Astral Plane.
> 
> If they ended up mated with Shiro’s abdomen extended by his cubs, well, all the better.
> 
> The older omega was _his_ , after all...
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: dub-con, heat-sex, multiple-positions, power-play, scenting, biting, mating, rutting, knotting, inter-species relations, mpreg, possessive!Keith, dominant!Keith, bonding and embarrassed, adorably vulnerable Shiro!**

Shouldering Shiro’s (at the moment; he knew after extensive talks with his mother that it wouldn’t last) taller form and walking him to the Black Lion was, he’d admit, so much easier thanks to the older Galran persuading the rest of the team that the pair of them needed some time to themselves.

He only wished that the older woman, his long lost parent, hadn’t shot him such an obvious smirk after the rest of the Paladins, Romelle and Coran had started to divide the provisions between the other four Lions.

At least his beautiful, loyal, dimension-hopping wolf had shown a little more decorum when he’d pounced Hunk and nuzzled him to the ground; the big-hearted lug had taken to Keith’s new ally so well that housing him in the Yellow Lion was something he’d virtually cheered about. Then, with Pidge and Krolia riding in Green, Allura and Romella getting to know each other and discussing their people’s fate in Blue, that left a distinctly nonplussed Lance stuck with a merrily chirping Coran.

It would take three days to reach Earth...

“K-Keith, are you sure you’re... okay with taking care of me? I mean, you and your mom...”

“Don’t worry about that” the eighteen year old breathed gently, his smile brightening when Black leaned down to allow them entrance; “we spent just over two years together in a warped field of space which bent and distorted time” he added, a light chuckle leaving his lips when the omega ( _his_ omega) blinked at him in disbelief. 

“M-my God, are you both alright? Was Coran able to...”

“I’m fine, _we’re_ fine, I promise” the alpha interrupted kindly, his indigo eyes softening when older male tried to dampen his relieved smile.

"Heh, sorry... I can’t help playing mother-hen... I’m just so glad that everyone is okay and... and that _the imposter_ can’t hurt anyone, not anymore” he murmured, his voice rasping with exhaustion as they made their way to the cock-pit.

Purring deeply at their arrival, Black wordlessly closed her mouth and waited whilst Keith made the one-armed male comfortable within the nest of blankets his mother had deposited next to his command-chair before, with a roar that resounded around her sisters, the Pride’s leader took off as the alpha gently prompted her to.

“You okay down there?”

“Umm” the omega murmured sleepily; he’d slept whilst the others had made food, dozed whilst eating and _still_ his eyes remained heavy. However, a little part of himself whispered that getting rest and just taking stock was for the best just now; he was no longer a Paladin _and_ , although Allura had promised him that the only thing that remained of the soulless _body_ he’d inherited was a smattering of memories, he _had_ to make certain. 

Not that he didn’t trust the Princess (whose abilities had broadened well beyond his wildest dreams) but, since Haggar had both created and manipulated this body (completely altered by the insertion of his spirit and additional, _mystic_ energy courtesy of Black), he found himself constantly on edge.

Being resurrected, he supposed, would do that to a person...

“Hey, just move forward a bit, okay?”

Huffing slightly, his leaden lids still closed, Shiro complied with little, sluggish movements, his brows quirking when Keith’s (now three inches taller, now a little broader) body slipped into the weird, strangely nest-like bundle of fabrics he’d been placed in.

Tch, what was he thinking? It wasn’t a nest because _nests_ were made by a courting alpha and his family for the omega or femme they were going to mate with.

What a stupid thing to think; he was clearly more out of it then he...

Stiffening, his eyes snapping open, Shiro felt a deep, surprised blush bloom across his scar when the younger (sixteen for goodness sake! Alphas _couldn’t_ become sexually active until they were over eighteen... oh, _quiznak_ ) wrapped his arms around the omega’s waist to gently pull him onto his lap.

“K-Keith? What...”

Tightening his grip when the tired man attempted to pull away, the Galran leaned forward, his lips ghosting against the omega’s right ear before securing the soft-lobe between his sharpened teeth; when the older tried to move once more, a swift nip instead had him pause and shudder.

“W-wait... just _wait a minute_... Keith, you’re... _we_ are...”

“Not related by blood...” the (still slightly shorter) Black Paladin breathed, his arms helping to trap his prey, back to front and secure him more firmly against his (sadly still clothed) crotch; “when I called you my brother... I meant it, I did, but I want... no, I _need_ more than that from you...”

“B-but...”

“No buts” he close to growled, his fingers refusing to budge even as Shiro’s clumsy hands attempted to shove them away; “you know it to... and after everything Allura has been able to do to save you, to bring you back, I can’t risk losing you again...”

“Y-you won’t, I promise, I...”

“No, you’re not talking your way out of this Takashi” he murmured, each puff of air deliberately caressing the flesh he’d sampled; “when your soul entered this body, I guess you must have been too stunned to realise that whatever the Princess did cleaned it out completely, cleaned it out of _everything_...”

“My suppressants...” the omega breathed, his amber irises constricting in shock; “shit... _shit_ , I need to speak to... to Coran...”

“You can speak to him later” the alpha chuffed, the scent exuding from the other making him light-headed and jealous; “right now, just relax and get some rest...”

“You’re scent-marking me... Jesus, Keith, _stop it_...” Shiro tried to hiss, his limbs struggling against not only the blanket’s he’d initially snuggled under but the steel-grip of the alpha’s arms and his own, burgeoning instincts.

“Shh, shh... come on, it’s alright, keep breathing deeply, that’s it” he purred, his lips returning to taunt the ear he’d nibbled earlier; “I love you and, if you don’t want me to rut you, to _mate_ you right now then I swear to you, on my life, that I won’t” he whispered. “But you’re going into heat and you’re too weak, too exhausted to fight this on your own... so I’ll help you through it, help you and _**nothing**_ else unless you ask, unless you feel about me the way I feel about you...”

“ _Keith..._ ”

“And you will feel that way about me one day, I know it... I have known it since the day you first saved me at the Garrison” he furthered, his whole body preening when the omega slowly but surely began to lean into him, his breath coming out in rapid, delicious sounding pants.

“We were meant to be together...”


	28. To the Victor... (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **SEANSON 7 SPOILERS!!**
> 
>  
> 
> **This is a re-imagining of episode 12’s ending SO if you haven’t watched this season (which has given me SO MANY ISSUES AND FEELS TO DEAL WITH!!) then don’t read any further unless you want SPOILERS!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this being said:
> 
> *Waahhhh~!! Adam’s dead... Dreaworks giveth LBGTQ+ potential and Dreamworks taketh away : (
> 
> *Keith kills(?) Sendak...
> 
> This means that Dreamworks has eliminated two of my all time favourite pairings (well... Shendak was a possibility, I’d argue) from the canon...
> 
> Therefore, I wrote this in smutty retaliation!
> 
> Pairing: Alpha!Sendak/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Rating: Explicit
> 
> Summary: When Shiro’s brain becomes a conduit for Sam and the Atlas’ controls, the psychic pressure is too much for the unmated omega to bear and so, the final command sent to destroy the Galran ship’s power-source, the human faints within the crystal’s chamber. 
> 
> Moments later, an infuriated Sendak investigates the situation and, unlike the actual episode, finds his enemy vulnerable and unconscious (because, seriously, the fight they have on the outside of a free-falling ship? I know it’s a cartoon but... physics? Physics much?!).
> 
> With his fleet deteriorating and his hopes of decimating Voltron slipping through his fingers, the former Commander decides that there’s more than one way to strike a devastating blow to the Paladins and so, the other’s Altean arm crushed under foot, the Galra chooses to _claim_ a very different kind of victory...
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: DARK-FIC!! Rape/dub-con/heat-sex! References to past rape/dub-con/taunting! Graphic sex-scenes, knotting, biting, bondage, mating rituals, psychic-bonds/soul-bonds/mating-bonds, self-lubrication, mpreg, ANGST, captive!Shiro, smug!Sendak, collars, manipulation, gloating/bragging, helpless Paladin team!**

“Tch, why am I not surprised?” he heard himself growl, his prosthetic snapping out to snag the unconscious human, Zarkon’s former _Champion_ , away from the shard scattered ground, the bioluminescence of his ocular implant flashing crimson as it scanned the shallowly breathing creature lying so innocently within the cage of his metal-fingers.

Still such an appealing, deliciously scented little thing; it was almost a shame, a _waste_ to kill him even as he stomped upon the smooth, clearly Altean arm which attempted to follow the body he’d scooped up, a grin of unveiled satisfaction momentarily splitting his face when it fizzed, sparked and hissed under foot.

Then, as though to sully his good mood, another explosion rocketed through the descending vessel, its reverberations mimicking the snarl rippling from his chest; oh, but he _wanted_ to kill him, to throw his shredded remains at the feet of those damned _children_ and watch as they screamed, their precious _leader_ lost to them forever...

“ _S-sendak? N-no... l-let go... let-t go of me-e!_...”

So sweet in his shock, his _fear_ ; hmm, perhaps there was a different route he could take?

Tightening his grip upon the fragile creature, a flicker of quintessence electing a whimpered cry, the former Commander watched, a flare of primal _want_ coiling in his belly when that weakened body writhed and tried to free itself, the younger male’s starlit hair glinting against the ultra-violet of his own power.

If memory served, he writhed all the prettier upon a futon, his legs spread obscenely wide as he was made to take the fattened girth of a true Galran alpha.

A slow, cruel smile ate up his lips; “let you go?” he asked, his tone mild even as alarms began to sound and the ship started to list in earnest. “No _Shiro_ , never again” he chuckled, his legs striding to the exit whilst chaos continued to reign all around them; getting to a battle cruiser would be easier and more efficient than an escape-pod at this time and so, at a jog, he started to make his way.

The crew, as everything else, was expendable at this late stage; he could hear his new Lieutenant valiantly, _desperately_ shouting orders over the comms for all the good it would do.

However, he needed to remind himself that this was not a defeat _but_ a new, different kind of victory, a victory which would see those brats suffer for years as opposed to weeks, a victory which would see him in an enviable position of not only securing a mate and offspring _but_ an invulnerability that he could exploit in all manner of ways.

For the Paladin’s would not, _could_ not act against him with their precious omega’s life-force tied up with his own; there would be exceptions, of course, as a soul-bond formed could not be rescinded and so the possibility of _saving_ Shiro was, from their perspective, nonexistent.

But they wouldn’t be so quick to believe a way to break the bond couldn’t be found; again, this would be a mistake he’d use to his ultimate advantage...

“ _Aahhh! S-stop it! F-fight me... like a... man!_ ”

And speaking of _using_...

Chuckling cruelly, his flesh hand slamming into the control panel so as to access to a small hangar of operational flyers, Sendak offered the omega he’d ensnared what he knew to be a deep, lascivious smirk; “ah, but why should I fight you like a man when I can _fuck you_ like one, hmm? You Earth-people have a saying, don’t you? To the victor go the spoils?” he asked whilst Shiro’s eyes narrowed in horror.

“B-but you’ve lost!” the younger managed to accuse hotly, his teeth gritting when he was zapped by a stronger pulse of energy for his trouble; “isn’t it supposed to be... victory or death? S-stop lying to... yourself!” he tried to wheeze, his eyes flashing with determination: “it’s... all over... for you!”

“Ha! Capturing such an important member of your little, ill-fated resistance tells quite another story now, doesn’t it?” the fur ruffed alpha barked, his laughter cold and unkind. “What’s more, you are going to help ensure my overall success... at least where re-establishing my Empire is concerned” he added whilst effortlessly (even with Shiro in tow) he jumped into the battle-ship’s cockpit.

“I’ll... never help... you!”

“Ahh, you are so quick to forget your situation, _omega_ ” he taunted, his prosthetic bringing the wriggling male all the closer. “I am an alpha, _your_ alpha, just as I was when you begged for help, for _salvation_ from the gladiator pits all those decafeebs ago” he reminded, his fangs flashing when the other’s features blanched in terror, his head slowly shaking in denial. “Oh? Yet another set of memories that have been lost to you? A pity” he sighed, a blinding flash of quintessence wrenching an agonised scream from his would-be mate, those caramel eyes rolling back in a faint.

“However, I’ll be more than _happy_ to remind you of your true and proper place...”


	29. To the Victor... (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

“What do you mean?!” Keith all but roared, his eyes checking and rechecking the holoscreens flashing before him; “he can’t have been on Sendak’s ship, our sensors would have...”

“We lost contact with him” Sam cut through, his own fingers feverishly swiping across the technology he’d designed and _not_ ; “he had to get near the crystal so that we could access it, it was the only way...”

“But where is he now?!” Lance called, his Lion circling the smoking behemoth that was the Galran’s flagship; “Blue is only picking up a handful of Galra bio-signatures and they’re being rounded up by Garrison staff” he added, his eyes straining alongside the rest of the Pride’s.

“We don’t know” Veronica murmured, her tone thick with worry whilst Coran and Iverson continued to flick through the Atals’ vast array of scanners. “Wait... could he have launched himself from an escape-pod or a battle-cruiser? My cameras are replaying the last fifteen minutes of footage as the flagship fell... hmm, they’re showing a couple dozen flyers exiting the craft” she stated. “I’m going to cross-check how many were confirmed hits... Coran, did any of them successfully land planet-side?”

“Mmm... scanning... no, no none landed that we can see... most of our pilots shot them down... ten or so of the fiends managed to escape and breach the atmosphere, though...” the oldest Altean confirmed, his moustache frizzing in consternation. “Quiznak... I... Oh? Wait... there’s... we’re being sent a message from an unknown frequency... I’m patching it through... now” he called, a few swipes of his fingers opening the message for both groups to see.

Within tics, he was going to wish he hadn’t...

“Greetings _Paladins_ ” the smirking countenance of Sendak bid, his side profile visible amidst a star-spackled background; so the bastard _had_ managed to escape!

Gritting his teeth, his hands pulling on Black’s controls, Keith felt a snarl tripping up his throat, his mouth opening until the true Galran’s words cut him off: “by now I’m sure that you’re _celebrating_ this paltry victory you’ve secured amidst the greater war that is re-forging the Galra Empire” he sneered. “However, if you’d permit me one _small_ parting gift before I regroup my subsidiary forces? Yes, a little **nightmare** to repay you for all of your meddling and the damage that you’ve caused both my honour and my ambitions?” he added before the camera angle suddenly tilted downwards to reveal...

“ _N-no! No way..._ ” Pidge gasped, her eyes shrinking in horror whilst her father, his tone thick with guilt and regret, fell to his knees with a “oh God... no... this is all my fault...”

For there, his body lax and unconscious, was the lightly curled body of Shiro, his head perched upon the Commander’s shoulder, clearly lacking the enviro-suit he’d worn; Sendak had stripped him to his underwear, the claws of his flesh hand tapping a light tune against the metal cuff that once connected to the missing prosthetic. 

“You _**bastard**_! You...”

“Kagone! I know it’s hard but you’ve got to calm down and _listen_ ” Iverson snapped, his tone broking no argument as he glared heatedly at the screen; “this is a pre-recorded message... see if you can’t recognise anything in the background, _anything_ that can help us pinpoint where they’re heading...”

“Now that you’ve seen the advantage I’ve claimed, I expect to be _undisturbed_ during my travels... I’m sure you need no help from me to imagine just _what_ I _could_ do to your precious omega-leader should you attempt to stop my departure from this system” he chuckled cruelly. “That goes for any of the rebel allies I can detect on my long-range scanners... Not that, I suppose, any of you will have the time to cause _me_ trouble when you have another surprise on the way” he added, his smirk stretching roguishly. 

“Should you survive this next encounter, do tell Haggar’s pet that I said _hello_...”

Gasping in unison, the Commander’s words acting as a harbinger, the Lions roared whilst the Atlas alarms began to sound, its screens lighting up to show a tall, mechanised structure punching its way through the atmosphere, a staff gleaming in its hands as it sped towards the Paladins.

“God-damn-it!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!”

“Guys! The power-readings Green is picking up are clocking off the charts!”

“Brace yourselves guys! It’s coming in hot!”

And so the battle continued...


	30. To the Victor... (Part 3) 23.03.19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **Warnings include: angst, captor/captive situation, smug!Sendak**

Shiro woke with a start, his ears ringing and vision blurred whilst he tried to move any part of his leaden, unresponsive body; oh God... had the Atlas been able to shut down Sendak’s ship? Were the others okay? Was he still...

“Ah, so my Consort is finally awake, _good_ ” a voice called from somewhere beyond his blearily eyes sight; “I’d remain still, if I were you, you’ve been bound with plasma cables which will start to burn should you jostle them too much.” 

Dragging in a deep, ragged inhale, the former Black Paladin felt the tingling of white-noise eat up his senses as some kind of terrible, numbing-horror forced his head to look up, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks as he gazed from the cramped storage unit he’d been boxed in to see...

“S-Sendak” he breathed, his voice alien to his own ears; “w-what are you d-doing? Why am I... W-where are my... my _clothes_?” he heard himself ask before, to his mounting shock he snapped his eyes towards his right shoulder: “my arm...”

“Hmm? Yes, a hideous design even by _Altean_ standards” the Galran shrugged as he slowly, deliberately lowered himself to kneel at the omega’s eyelevel; “I will provide you with something better once you’ve learned your place and shown that you can behave yourself...”

“I’ll _never_ follow along with you or any of your plans, you monster!”

“Oh? A _monster_ , am I?” the older male chuckled, his clawed fingers snagging the other’s chin and tilting that slender, delicate (when compared to his own, at least) jaw-line upwards; “we’ll have to work on that but, for now, you must thirsty, yes? I’m certain a pod of water would be welcome _even_ from a monster’s hand, wouldn’t it?”

Glaring at his captor, the human bared his blunt teeth (such a pointless yet endearingly angry display); “and what do you want in _exchange_?” he all but hissed, his eyes narrowing further.

“Ah, so you _do_ remember some of our past exchanges, Champion?”

Baulking, his eyes screwing shut, Shiro tried to pull away from the taller male whilst the cables strategically wrapped about him started to heat up at his jostling. “I... I don’t know what you’re talking about” he yelped; “let go of me!” 

Smirking, Sendak released his grip to watch as his fiery mate struggle and yip at the growing temperature of his binds; “I can see that you’re in no frame of mind to be reasonable as of yet” he offered with a light shrug before standing.

“Perhaps a few more vargas in the dark will make you more amenable...”

~*~*~*~

He’d screamed himself hoarse by the time his captor returned; he was exhausted, shuddering despite the heat of his bonds and becoming more desperate by the tic.

How had this happened?

How had... no, he couldn’t allow himself to think along any kind of negative lines; he’d escaped from Sendak’s grasp before, he’d survived the emptiness of Voltron’s void to be effectively reborn and so _this_ was nothing.

He just had to be patient, bid his time, spy any opportunity to get away or maybe stall this ship long enough for the other’s to come, for them to find him because they would...

Sure, the battle between the Galran’s forces had been difficult and, perhaps, the Paladins would need some time to repair the Lions but, together with the Atlas, they couldn’t be too far behind.

“Well?”

Blinking (shit, he must be really out of it if he missed the taller being talking directly at him), Shiro raised caramel eyes towards glowing lemon and crimson; “what do you want?” he repeated, his voice raspy and lips chapped.

“Let us start by you _asking nicely_ for a drink, hmm?”

Scowling, his rumbling stomach and raw throat working in tandem against him, the human swallowed back his venom ( _’patience yields focus, patience yields focus_ ’) and tried to straighten his lips into something friendlier; “may I have a drink, please?”

Chuckling gruffly, Sendak produced a mouth-sized pod of clear liquid which he held close to the furless man’s lips.

Looking at the offering, his hands still tied behind his back, the omega steeled himself (a flash of a memory, a nightmare, flitting over his mind’s eye) and opened his mouth to allow the Galra to feed him by hand.

_’Patience yields focus...’_


	31. Won’t Let you Go (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> Pairings: Adam/Shiro, Sendak/Shiro, Sendak/Adam/Shiro (because why not? My angsty bunnies are feeling hungry...)
> 
> Summary: When Shiro crash lands on Earth after his year of captivity at the hands of the Galra Empire, Keith isn’t the only one to rush to the scene (with Lance, Hunk and Pidge not too far behind); forcing his way past the quarantine personnel and refusing to take “no” for an answer, Adam manages to reach his fiancée just as the sedative knocks him out.
> 
> From there, the events leading to the cadets finding the Blue Lion and galloping off into Space is as it should be... only this time, Adam is along for the ride…

Smiling softly at Keith, the sounds of the three cadets animatedly chatting about the night’s events filtering in from behind the young man, Adam let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding when the boy his lover thought of as a younger brother quietly closed the door to the desert shack’s only bedroom.

God, what a mess…

“A-Adam… _Adam_ I…”

“Shh” the older male soothed, his arms tightening their grip around the exhausted man slumped against his chest, his head (now crested with a tuft of silky-white hair) laying upon his shoulder as he held him, their bodies crowding the old, single bed as they simply breathed each other in.

“I can’t believe that you’re here… that you’re alive and… and” the sandy haired male found himself murmuring, a hitch straining his words; “God… I… I’ve missed you so much… I… I’m not sure that this isn’t all some… some crazy dream, you know?” he tried to chuckle.

“I… know” Shiro replied, his eyes itching with tears whilst he desperately swiped at them. “There’s so much that’s happened… so much that I still can’t remember… my head, I think that this implant, this _arm_ , is to blame… that or… the explosion” he added tiredly through a sniff. “I haven’t felt right since they… the Galra… but, ugh… hey, they cured me of my…”

“You’re covered in bruises, and scars, and _bite-marks_ , Takashi!” Adam cut in with a strangled whisper, his embrace tightening around the quivering body he held; “Jesus… I can’t even _imagine_ the horrors that you’ve suffered… God… it’s a _blessing_ that you can’t remember… you should _never_ have…”

“I… I’m s-sorry” the younger man gasped; “you were right… you were… r-r-ight about the mission…”

“No” the slightly taller man interrupted; “no Takashi, that was… shit… I was hurt, and scared… _worried_ that your health would” he tried to vocalise, his brows furrowing. “Telling you to choose between your dream and me? Tch… I was being a passive aggressive asshole because the thought of losing you… I couldn’t… hell, _I haven’t_ been able to deal with it… I was on medical leave after they released the news that you had… that you _were_ …” 

“Adam…”

At the sound of three knocks upon the door, both men straightened whilst trying to regain their composure, their hands desperately rubbing at their eyes before Shiro called out a “yeah?” which had Keith and Hunk shouldering their way into the room with an offering of steaming mugs and a plate of meager looking sandwiches.

“Sorry” the slightly shorter of the pair said, his smile warm even whilst the blushing Hunk tried to avoid looking directly at them, his form acutely aware that they were disturbing such a precious and emotionally fraught reunion. “Here… ugh, we thought you could use something to eat” the former cadet offered as they made their approach; “and, you know, when you’re ready? I think that there’s something that you should see…”

“But there’s _no_ rush!” Hunk chimed in, his smile widening when both men accepted the food and drink; “it’s just… well… we’re all so, umm, glad, you know? That you’re alive… and… Mr Shirogane, Mr Wise… you…”

Smiling at the wonderfully empathetic young man, Adam sighed out a “thanks, Hunk” as they started to retreat.

He had Shiro back, and nothing else would matter; they’d face it together…


	32. Starting Over (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: General - Explicit
> 
> Pairing: Kolivan/Shiro
> 
> **Post Season 7**
> 
> Summary: The Earth and its peoples are slowly recovering, slowly adjusting to life after the invasion; there are new allies to embrace, cities to rebuild and resources to share now that the Galra Empire is in decline and their mystery attacker has yet to be found.
> 
> For once, the Paladins of Voltron and their friends can find a peaceful few weeks to reflect, reconnect and mourn what they’ve lost; on one quiet evening, his mind unable to settle, Takashi Shirogane finds himself standing before Adam’s memorial plaque, his heart heavy with regret and longing.
> 
> Watching from the shadows, his curiosity peeked, Kolivan finally decides to approach his fellow leader to offer an ear (amongst _other_ things) should he need to talk…

“There are many brave souls listed here.”

Blinking, his mind sluggishly pulling out of the malaise Adam’s lifeless countenance evoked within the shattered remains of his tiring heart, Shiro turned to see Kolivan’s form standing calmly, quietly, at the entrance to the memorial room, his powdered-lemon eyes soft and considering. 

“Yeah” he returned quietly, his flesh hand coming up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly; “not that our sacrifices can really measure up to the Blades losses…”

“All losses, in this terrible war, are equal” the older interrupted gently as he made his approach; it always amazed the human that the Galra (creatures so tall, so powerful) could be so silent and stealthy in their movements. “I hope I am not intruding upon your vigil?”

Trying his best to smile, Shiro offered a “not at all” whilst he stepped aside to allow the braided warrior to join him; “I thought… eh, I _hoped_ that I’d be able to sleep, you know, now that I’m home but…”

“Rest is something that is fleeting for men like us, _leaders_ , I mean” the Galran agreed, his eyes taking in the other’s disheveled white-mane, black-smudged eyes, drooping shoulders and dull complexion. “The constant worry, the fear you feel not just for your own life, but the lives of those you command, your friends, _pack_ ” he continued sagely, his frown deepening; “perhaps… if you’d be so inclined, you’d like to join me for a drink?”

Eyes widening a fraction, the shorter man found an actual smile finally tugged at his lips; “that would be great” he replied earnestly, his body sagging a little at thought of having something to fill up the insomnia that’d been plaguing them since they’d defeated Sendak and the other mysterious attacker. “The canteen isn’t open but the coffee machines should…”

“’Hm? Oh, I am sorry, I had been told that that statement implied a more personal setting” Kolivan cut in, his head cocking to the side; “would you like to join me in my quarters, for a drink?”

Blinking, the human felt (for reasons he couldn’t, wouldn’t look into) a blush flitter across his features before he desperately tried to quell it; “umm, sure?”


	33. Starting Over (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Kolivan had been allotted (no doubt thanks to Sam or, more likely, Colleen and her undeniable will) a room befitting a General; sure, on a campus that was still more refugee camp than the military academy he remembered an Officer’s Suite wasn’t much _but_ it had a bathroom, office and a bedroom.

It certainly made the studio-apartment he’d once shared with Adam seem small by comparison…

“Please, sit won’t you?”

Smiling (and trying his best not to get caught up in old memories as being rude to the Galran leader was the last thing he wanted to do that evening), Shiro walked after the taller male before helping himself to one of the three seats available within the office space, his brows quirking slightly at the bottle of scotch sitting innocently upon the desk.

“I’ve been led to believe that this is a strong-brew amongst your kind and so I completely understand if you cannot finish this bottle with me” the braided warrior commented blithely, his own form slinking (all elegant, feline grace) into the chair across the oaken furniture. “However, I hope that this is acceptable to you? I have water or a selection of hot beverages if you’d prefer?”

Chuckling, his hands eagerly reaching for a tumbler to show his eagerness, the human offered a “scotch is perfect, thanks.”

Grinning softly, the warrior eagerly poured him a substantial measure before serving himself a glass; “I often see you at the memorial this late in the evening… I do not mean to pry, however…”

“You’re wondering what has me wondering around there during all hours of the evening, hmm?” the human mused gently, his toffee coloured eyes (so strange, so _alien_ compared to the gun-metal grey that’d looked back at him all of his life) softening; “many of the dead were people I knew, people I trained” he stated. “However… there’s one person in particular who… ugh, how do I put this?”

“Please” Kolivan interrupted, his smile replaced by a worried frown; “it was not my intention to interrogate you or add to your sadness” he promised, his mouth opening to add further apology when Shiro raised his hand in a placating gesture.

“No, no it’s fine… in fact, I guess talking about it, about _him_ is something that I should be doing… something I haven’t felt comfortable with during mandatory therapy sessions or when talking to my team” he murmured, his prosthetic grasping the tumbler and bringing it to his lips to take a healthy swig. “Ahh… where to start? Umm… first of all, are you sure that I’m not keeping you from your rest? I mean…”

“I would not have offered my time if I had it not to give, I assure you” the feline cut in smoothly whilst gesturing that the other take another sip; “perhaps it would be best to start at the beginning?”


	34. Starting Over (Part 3) 12.03.19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> How's about some soft, fluffy-angst with a splash of hurt-comfort?

Talking, or rather, _venting_ about Adam, their final words to each other and the sandy haired man’s refusal to even wish him well before embarking on his mission was, well, incredibly cathartic. 

“Choosing between a man you loved and what you loved must have been incredibly difficult” Kolivan soothed, the deep, rumbling quality of his voice more like a purr than anything else; “I find it hard to believe that a mate would expect you to choose” he furthered.

“Don’t judge him too harshly” the younger male sighed, his lips barely touching the rim of his tumbler; “at the time I was sick and growing sicker with every passing week... he feared that something worse would happen out in space” he said through a dry chuckle. “He probably had no idea how right he’d be... but, well, I was facing a drawn-out, painful death which would claim me well before my fortieth birthday and... heh, I guess I figured that trading Adam nursing me through that for one last shot at glory was worth it” he reasoned.

“You have been cured since?” the taller asked, his tone genuinely concerned.

Nodding, Shiro took another sip of his drink to relish the burn before replying; “turns out there was at least _one_ benefit of being abducted... my memories of that time are fuzzy but I had Coran confirm it once I became a Paladin” he murmured. “I guess the Galra who took us didn’t want any kind of diseases circulating amongst the prisoners in the arena” he shrugged, his eyes dulling with remembrance.

“Try not to let the ghosts of your past eat you up” Kolivn gently called, a large, clawed hand reaching out to cup his around the glass; “it was intention to bring you here to gladden your spirits, not depress them...”

“Oh, you have... you _have_ , I promise” the human returned earnestly, their eyes locking; “to be honest... I can’t remember the last time I’ve been able to just, well, sit down and talk with anyone about anything other than the war, really” he admitted, his voice quieting throughout the confession. “When I was trapped within Voltron’s void I... I tried talking to the lions and... they tried to communicate with me but...”

“Shiro... you are weeping...”

“O-oh?” the younger breathed, his prosthetic moving to swipe the moisture away; “G-god... I... I’m sorry, I...”

“May I hold you?”

Blinking, the static-shock of white-noise blocking out everything else, the shorter male felt a tingling-numbness wash over him; “w-what?”

“I would give you physical comfort” the Blade’s leader stated, his fingers gently massaging his trapped flesh hand, rubbing feeling back into him little by little; “will you allow me?”

To be physically touched for comfort seemed like such an alien concept for him now.

The fact that an _actual_ alien was offering it also had a strange, almost sweet kind of irony to it, too.

Nodding wordlessly, Shiro watched, his form trembling, as Kolivan removed the tumbler he held and pulled him (effortlessly) out of his chair to curl him seamlessly into his lap; the Galra then tucked his head under that strong, lightly furred chin and began to purr gently.

If he minded that the human’s tears were dampening the uniform he wore then he chose not to comment on it...


	35. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: Explicit
> 
> Pairings: Alpha!Sendak/Omega!Shiro
> 
> Pirate AU (as a special New Years Gift to all of you wonderful readers, commenter’s and kudos givers out there! Especially **QueenoftheNightCheese** who has been such a wonderful muse and morale booster) in which Prince Takashi Shirogane of the Moon Kingdom is sailing (with extensive dowry in tow) to meet with and marry King Curtis Solaris of the Sun Kingdom. 
> 
> However, the waters between their two territories are swollen with monsters, storms and, worst of all, Galran Pirates; their route and marriage a strict secret, how could anyone have known that ‘ _The Flame of Purification_ ’ and its crew (led by Pirate Emperor Zarkon’s most trusted subordinate) would be sailing that very night across their path?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Context: Okay… so I’m thinking a base of Pirates of the Caribbean mixed in with a traditionally stereotypical Japan-like Moon Kingdom vs Romance Era Italy for the Sun (although, ugh, we’ll never get to see it… heh, in _this_ one-shot version, anyway; curse you plot-bunnies!). 
> 
> As an omega, Shiro will be wearing a flamboyant kimono denoting his high status and fertility (not so traditionally Japanese in that sense BUT I love kimonos and it’s Curtis’ idea because colour (and showing off his new fiancée) is _in_!) whilst everyone else is in more westernized clothing (because tormenting Shiro is my jam). 
> 
> Also, because writing fighting scenes/describing things I’m not used to can be quite troublesome, the Sun Kingdom Ship sent to pick up Shiro is a Galleon styled Ship whilst Sendak’s is a bastardised, purple rendition of ‘The Black Pearl’, okay?
> 
> Okay! Let’s do this! 
> 
>  
> 
> **Warnings include: abduction, threats, betrayal, pirates being pirates, dub-con situations, dub-con touching, cultural differences, sea-monsters (umm… tentacles, maybe?), enemies to lovers, A/B/O dynamics (and all the delicious SMUTTY goodness that implies), swashbuckling (hah! My new favourite word!) and SEX! (not in part 1 though, sorry… you know me and my world-building ways!).**

Sitting quietly within the blinding, silver accented cabin (too big, too lavish and probably built at the expense of space which could have been afforded to the hard-working crew), Shiro took another small sip of the jasmine tea his mother had tucked (secretly; the Sun Kingdom _did not **drink tea**_ ) away for him in her favourite thermos.

By the Ancients, he would miss her…

“Come now, your highness, this is no way to spend your wedding’s eve” Haxus, a scarred Galran-slave Curtis _gifted_ to him six months ago chided, his lithe body slinking about the chamber to pack fabrics and trinkets into various trunks and boxes; the room had been awash with _things_ to alight the artist’s eyes when he’d been painted earlier. “Why not toast tonight with me and this vintage Nunvil, hmm?”

Chuckling fondly (he was disgusted by slavery and would, when he ruled alongside his husband, work towards its abolition; however, Haxus was witty, clever, honest and a pleasure to know: his last masters had been, by the beta’s own troubled admission, cruel, _”so unlike you, your highness”_ ), the omega nodded. 

“Ahh! Well, it’s no Galran Elixir, but it is rather fine… Prince Curtis has clearly spared no expense” the dog-eared server announced after pouring, his body moving to sit next to the ivory haired royal upon a scattering of multi-coloured Sun Kingdom silk floor-cushions.

“Oh really, I hadn’t noticed” Shiro deadpanned, his right arm gesturing to the glittery walls, chandeliers and king-sized futon _choked_ with throws, furs and beaded pillows of all shapes and sizes.

“Heh… well, it was at least _considerate_ of him to use your Family’s colours here… eh, if a little too much” the older being offered sheepishly; “hmm, to be young and in love, I suppose…”

“Tch, the only thing that egotistical narcissist loves is himself” the human murmured around the china saucer he sipped from; “we’ve spent all of five evenings together… but, I guess that’s just how this goes, isn’t it?” he added softly. “Marrying off omegas for trade-deals, land and prestige has been happening across the Kingdoms for so long it should be cliché… But I am fortunate in the fact that we’re a similar age and, when Kuron becomes King, I’ll be able to assist my brother with negotiations between Sun and Moon” he tried to reason, his tone brightening slightly.

“You think too much of others, your highness, it’s a weakness that someone may take advantage of if you’re not careful” the beta soothed, his hands dutifully pouring more Nunvil for his owner to drink. “Now, let us not fret over such dismal things and talk on lighter news, yes? Or… ah! Let’s try on this peacock gown to see how it fits!” he suggested excitedly whilst rising to scurry towards the largest wardrobe. 

“Ugh, can we not?”

“Oh but please, your highness, for me?” the Galran pouted, his hands already pulling open the great, lacquered and crane-design etched doors to reveal a kimono befitting an empress with its glossy, ostentatious overcoat displaying a parade of vivid birds circling a lake swathed with reeds and koi. “When we arrive in Sun, I might be separated from you and you _know_ Prince Curtis will not allow someone of my blighted race to attend the wedding as a guest” he added whilst making his eyes big and round in hopes of winning him over.

Snorting at the almost literal _puppy-dog_ look, Shiro emptied his saucer before rising, his modest, cotton yukata (which he’d insisted upon wearing) easily giving way as he stood to approach his _wedding-trunk_ , his brows furrowing in bemusement when Haxus lifted the thick, wide obi belt for his inspection. “Wow” he sighed; “peacock is an understatement, isn’t it?”

“Umm, perhaps… however, on you it will look stunning” the Galran promised with an eager nod, his tone positively gleeful as the omega rolled his eyes, sucked in a deep breath and began to shuck the last vestiges of his old life from his shoulders.

“Let’s get this over with, then…”

~*~*~*~

Standing before the mirror, his frown soft, Moon’s youngest Prince tried to sound enthusiastic as his companion cooed and complimented the lavish (thankfully lighter than it looked; he’d foregone the excessive under-robes he’d have to wear tomorrow) robe and how it looked on him.

“I look ridiculous…”

“You look _marvelous_ ” Haxus countered whilst adjusting the decorative, butterfly knot he’d tied into the obi; “there’ll not be a femme or omega not green with jealousy when they see you” he furthered, his brows waggling excitedly whilst a sly grin crossed his features: “and not a single alpha who wouldn’t want you for themselves…”

“H-ha! Be serious” Shiro coughed, his cheeks heating in embarrassment when the other hovered behind his shoulder to peer at him in the mirror.

“Oh, but I am, I am…” he promised, his hands suddenly (and strangely) capping the omega’s shoulders, his shaved back claws lengthening a little; “tell me, your highness, are you feeling well?”

“I…”

“Not a little woozy, sleepy, hmm? Or did I not slip enough rheta weed extract into the Nunvil?”

Blinking, his eyes narrowing in shock, Shiro felt his knees buckle even before the Galran started to ease him to the floor; “H-Haxus… w-what… what have you…”

“Ah-ah-ah, easy now… we’ve got an hour or two before we reach our rendezvous point and I still have quite a lot to do” the other hushed gently, his deceptively strong body lifting the human with ease only to deposit him upon the futon. “There you go… try your best to get some sleep if you can, your highness” he all but purred as the omega struggled to keep his heavy eye lids from snapping shut.

“Something tells me that my Captain shan’t be affording you much rest in the future…”

~*~*~*~

Eyelashes fluttering, a sense of sleep-deprived heaviness still weighing him down, the Moon Prince woke to the distinct smell of burning, a terrible, rolling feeling, the thunderous cracks of canon fire mixed with pistols and the cries of frightened men; he… he had been on a ship bound for the Sun Kingdom when…

“ _Haxus_ ” he breathed, his body fighting to sit up within the confines of his wedding outfit, his arms flailing inside the massive, decorative sleeves until he managed to roll off of the futon and onto the floor. 

Gods, how in the hell could he get up, let alone find a way to warn a member of the crew about his servants betrayal…

“ _Oh no! By the Ancients!! They’re boarding! They’re… Gggaahhhh!!_!”

What? Boarding?

Grunting (and unable to wriggle free of his kimono no matter how violently he jerked his leaden limbs), Shiro struggled onto his hands and knees so as to crawl, clumsily, towards the closed cabin door; with a wheeze of effort, he couldn’t have been more than two paces away before…

“Ahh, yar awake, good’lad! Let’s be ‘avin you then! Look lively now!” 

Yelping, his body unable to put up any kind of resistance, Shiro found himself being carried (like some damned war-bride) in the arms of a creature, a _Galran_ , three times his size; he craned his neck to see the corridors which led from his cabin and shook to see the smashed lamps, bullet holes and… _bodies_...

“O-oh God! Y-you monster! P-put me down! Let go of me!” he heard himself yell, his swaddled form causing his captor little fuss; “w-why are you here? Who are you? W-what do you…”

“You’d best be savin’ tha’ pretty voice o’yers for the Cap’n” the behemoth interrupted as they seamlessly made their way to the deck, the hoots and hollers of the pirates all but deafening upon their arrival; flaming torches and a full moon helped the paint the garish picture of their victory. “Heh! You’ll av to plead yer case well if any’o’the others are ta live this night” he added through a chuckle before, with a heave, Shiro was airborne, his body landing (with a huff) onto a mound of fabrics surrounded by the boxes and trunks which made up his dowry.

“Good evening, your highness” a rich, sultry voice called, its presence causing the boisterous calling to cease and the Prince to raise his head; when he met a luminous, powdered lemon eye surrounded by thick swathes of magenta fur, a glaring crimson eye-patch, roguish smirk and seven-foot stature, the omega _knew_ his fate was sealed.

“Commander Sendak” he breathed, his eyes narrowing in shock; of all the pirates sailing the seas, of every scourge they could have faced on this journey, _why_ did it have to be ‘ _The Right Hand of Zarkon_ ’ who found them?

“Oh? Does my reputation precede me? How very _flattering_ that the Moon Kingdom’s loveliest pearl should have heard of me” the trench-coat wearer crooned, his tone mocking whilst the rest of his crew laughed; what few men remained of his own escort were scattered amongst them, each on bruised, bleeding and forced to kneel.

“Infamy is _nothing_ to be proud of” the omega snapped as he tried to pull himself into a more dignified position; “now state your terms… I assume since I’m still alive and that you sent _him_ ” he spat, his eyes narrowing on a fiendishly smirking Haxus hanging at the Captain’s elbow: “to smooth your way that you have something more you want?”

Laughing heartily, the sound mimicked by the many Galrans of various shapes, sizes and ethnicities (their frightful ship, the _Flame of Purification_ , looming on the waves besides the Sun Galleon they all stood on), Sendak moved to kneel, his singular eye meeting Shiro’s determined gaze. “Well, well, it seems that my first-mate’s assessment of you was, indeed, correct my little Prince” he praised, a clawed hand whipping out to clutch the human’s chin when he tried to look away. 

“My terms are these… holding a man with such praise-worthy fighting skills, omega or not, is a head-ache I do not need” he stated meaningfully, his lips quirking into something truly terrible. “However, using a _noble_ man’s good-will and morals to keep him in line whilst an _honored guest_ amongst my people, now… that _is_ something valuable to me” he stated, his head cocking to a small cluster of humans to his right. “You’re an intelligent man, Shirogane, you know that holding you hostage in exchange for ransom makes you an asset I can’t overlook… but what of these retched men from Sun, hmm? What use could I have for them?”

“Fine” the younger bit out, his own frown strengthening; “release this ship with no further damage, free these men with no further harm and I’ll play the role of quiet, obedient little hostage for you, alright?”

Licking his lips as he stood, Sendak merely murmured a pleased “ _perfect_ ” before snapping his jewel-clawed fingers, the motion setting his pirates into well-coordinated chaos whilst those Curtis had sent to safely guide him _home_ were dragged (kick and screaming) to the hold.


	36. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Sitting (as he’d insisted) within the confines of a regular holding-cell of the infamous pirate ship’s brig, the hem of his kimono just as sodden as his bare-feet, Shiro continued to tap a nursery rhyme his nanny had taught him in infancy upon the splinter ridden _bed-bench_ whilst the boat continued to plough through the waves.

“Must you _really_ keep ignoring me, your highness?”

It’d been an hour, maybe two, since his abduction and, knowing that the Sun’s galleon (he’d been allowed to watch it sail away at speed) wouldn’t reach its destination for at least ten hours and, well, the Flame of Purification would be thousands of miles away before any alarm could be raised.

“Oh Shiro, you’re going to be this childish, really?”

“What could we possibly have to say to each other Haxus, if that’s even your real name” he finally stated (the man had been coming to speak ( _annoy_ ) with him every ten minutes or so and, his patience wearing thing, the Prince found he could ignore him no longer); “what do you want?”

“What I _want_ is for you to see sense and allow me to take you to the lodgings we’ve prepared...”

“Tch, is Commander Sendak worried that he won’t get enough credits for me if I’m ill or dirty?” the omega cut in, his head tilting away from the patterns he’d been imaginarily drawing upon the boards which ribbed the ship to cock an eyebrow at his exasperated _servant_. “It’d serve all of you right, wouldn’t it?”

“Ugh... why are you being such a brat all of a sudden?” the Galran close to whined, his jester’s face resting on the metal-bars which fronted the cell; “this little venture of ours will hurt no one...”

“Tell that to the mates and children of the Sun men you slaughtered!” the younger countered viciously, his scowl thunderous.

“Worry not for them, _Prince_ , for I’m sure that their _slaves_ will pick up the slack...”

“Don’t you dare try to justify what you’ve done, what you _do_ , as some kind of righteous retribution” Shiro spat, his form standing. “Every day since I met you and every day before that I have been pioneering strategies to abolish Galra slavery within Sun, you _know_ that this goal was under-written in my marriage contract and yet, strangely, I have had to murder _no one_ to further the cause” he added hotly. “Being a pirate, murdering men who probably can’t afford their monthly rent, let alone slaves, will do nothing but perpetuate the vicious, fear-mongering stereotypes which led to your peoples bondage in the first place” he continued with a glare. “You abducting me could have jeopardised _everything_ I worked so hard to achieve Haxus... by the Ancients! You sat at my side and worked on the by-laws with me...”

“They won’t work, you naive fool!” the beta hissed, his fists whitening as they continued to clench the bars. “Curtis was fobbing you off, you moron! It’s just as you feared, just as you _said_ only hours ago, you’re just a show piece! A broodmare and trophy Consort! That bastard only plans to _humour_ you and, when you’re wed, the only freedom you’ll get is within his ridiculous palace’s walls!” he snarled. 

Blinking, a feeling akin to iced water dousing him flooding his mind and body, Shiro felt his body slump back onto the bench; “you can’t be certain of that...”

“Feh! Listen to yourself... you know that I’m telling you the truth” the older groused through a sneer, his eyes staring past the captive at a _very_ interesting knot in the wooden braces; “for what it’s worth... I do not want that life for you” he murmured before pushing away from the bars and making his way out of the brig.

~*~*~*~

Resuming his tapping (an old habit to settle his nerves), the omega was just getting back into the rhythm (now that his heart had calmed down and his deep-breath meditation had chased Haxus’ words to the back of his mind) when, with a booming-clang, the brig’s doors (only paces away) slammed open.

“I will tolerate this behaviour no longer!” Sendak snapped, his glistening, ultra-violet claws _tearing_ the lock from Shiro’s cell before swinging the door away; “get up!” he snarled.

Blinking, his teeth gritting, the human steeled himself and shook his head; “if I’m to be your prisoner then I want no special...”

“ _You_ agreed to obedience!” the Captain reminded; “now will you come or am I to _fetch_ you?”

Scowling, the omega merely crossed his arms.

Within seconds, he sorely wished he hadn’t...

“Very well then” the Galran breathed. “Since you’re _merely_ a common prisoner, you’ll have no use for this” he mused, the talons of his right hand effortlessly slicing through the obi-sash after he’d jerked the smaller male up with the left.

“ _H-hey_! W-what are you d-doing?!”

“What? A lowly creature like you shouldn’t have such clothes, should they?” the fur ruffed alpha stated, syrup sweet with mockery, whilst talismans, good-luck charms and paper-prayers for his prosperity clanked, flittered and scatted upon the soaked floor. “No, a _commoner_ isn’t afforded such luxury so why not feed these expensive scraps to the rats?”

Yelping, his body trying to struggle and fight back within the flurry of tearing fabric, Shiro yipped when everything except his underwear was torn from him and he was left to stand, shuddering, before the much taller man who glowered down at him whilst clapping his hands free of fabric dust and fibres. 

“Now, I am not in the habit of repeating myself, however, since you seem _particularly_ slow this morning, I’ll ask just once more” he said, his tone completely impassive; “will you come?”

Gawping (before he could get a hold of himself), the Prince tried his best to control the blush staining his cheeks whilst balling his hands into fists at his sides: “ _yes_ ” he bit out hotly.

“Yes, _what_?”

“Yes _Commander_ ” he close to spat.

Smirking, his eyes purposefully, _slowly_ giving the human a once-over inspection, Sendak turned with little preamble and gestured Shiro follow with a click of his claws.

Glaring at the alpha’s back (and fantasising about ways to incapacitate him) the omega raised his head high and ventured out of the cell.

~*~*~*~

The leering looks and crude cat-calls which echoed all around him did little to settle the hot rage still coursing through his veins; however, his face as neutral as he could make it, the human kept his eyes locked onto broad shoulders whilst his other senses picked up any information they could.

So far they’d ascended up two floors after the short walk through the grotty, putrid smelling brig; the next floor up had been a whole deck of storage bays filled with various treasures, food, water barrels and the like. This floor (and he _knew_ he wasn’t imagining it) that they were seemingly strolling through at the Captain’s leisure was clearly the crew’s domain; hammocks, personal effects, brighter lamps and crates filled with each pirate’s share of booty mocked him in rows. 

Or, rather, the betas and alphas clearly _off-duty_ were mocking him as some swayed in their beds whereas other’s leaned against posts whilst eating, drinking, sewing or shaving; strangely, not a single one made to touch him or even speak to him directly.

Just another way for Sendak to flex the power he had over him, over _them_ , he supposed; no doubt the bastard would demand some kind of _thanks_ for this _protection_ later…

“A word of warning to you, _Prince_ , that taking a walk down here without either Haxus or I may lead to you not being able to walk at all” the male he was silently glaring at called on cue; “so if you were devising any form of escape plan with my provisions in mind, I’d set such ill-fated thoughts aside” he added amidst further heckles and jeers.

Choosing to keep his peace, the omega merely kept up his guard as they rounded to another step-ladder to climb; the next floor housed canons and guns the likes of which Shiro had never seen.

“Impressed?”

“Horrified” he replied, his tone matching the adjective precisely; “there are so many… and these tracks in the floor for moving them around… the engineering, I’ll admit, is genius but I can’t offer any further compliment than that” he said whilst shrewdly looking from piece to piece.

“We are not the most feared, singular pirate vessel in the world for no reason, Shirogane” was the Galran’s response, those impressive shoulders shrugging nonchalantly. “You’ll notice, however, that there are no singular guns, rifles or armaments available on this deck…”

“Yes, _yes_ , there’s nothing here for me to use to my advantage… I know, I understand” he sighed out; “from the looks of the weaponry wielded by your people, I probably couldn’t lift anything to aim effectively, anyway” he furthered as they approached what had to be the final set of steps.

“Umm? So you admit that we’re a superior race, then?”

“I’ll _agree_ that the Galra are superior in terms of physical strength when compared to humans, however, I’d also make the argument that only classifying your people by that strength limits and devalues you and your culture” the Prince said as they made their way up to the deck. 

“Oh? You claim to know so much about us?”

“Surely you know that my youngest brother, my half-brother, is the Crown Prince of Marmora… not that I suppose this will mean much to you and your separatist _Empire_ ” he returned, his tone erring on disgusted; “from what I understand, you think even less of the Galra who hail from there than you do of me and my kind…”

“Correct” Sendak cut in, his heavy boots clacking loudly upon the freshly scrubbed decks until he stopped by the mast to stare down at his captive, the wind playing up against the magenta of his fur whilst Shiro stood, his arms self-consciously hugging himself to ward off the cold. “You will not speak of _them_ in my presence” he stated gruffly before moving on, his hulking form marching swiftly to a set of doors which, if the omega knew anything about ships, led to the Officers’ quarters. 

So, Haxus hadn’t been lying about the quarters, then?

Following cautiously, his eyes catching a few of the pirates watching him from the rigging and railings, the omega blinked when (beautifully crafted, artisan) double oaken doors were pulled open to reveal a short corridor with further double doors at the centre and a singular door to the right and left. 

“Before you lies my office, this is out-of-bounds” the Captain informed whilst shifting to the side, allowing his captive a view of ultra-violent etched doors; “this cabin belongs to my First Mate... and this is where you shall be staying” he decreed whilst opening the door to the right and stepping inside.

“Wait” Shiro heard himself breathe, his eyes widening; “this... this is...”

“My cabin, of course” Sendak huffed as though it was obvious, a hand reaching back to grab the reluctant human by the wrist, easily tugging him across the threshold with a nervous stumble of feet upon a lush, carpeted floor. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had the pleasure of hosting a guest, especially one with such a delightful scent” he continued casually whilst the younger gawped at him (twice in one day, at that; his nanny would have scolded him for it).

“You... you intend to... _to_ ” he choked out, his form paling as his panic rose.

“Hmm? Oh my, your highness, just where is that mind of yours running off to? Why, could it be that you think _so_ highly of yourself that you’d be worthy of _my_ attention?” he laughed heartily before, with a flick of his hand, he sent the omega staggering into the expansive room towards a wide, bay window. Beneath it (with a leather collar and metal chain strewn out quite menacingly) was a plump futon, a few pillows and thick blanket. 

“No, my dear, I am not a man who wants nor needs to rape for his pleasure... speaking on which” he furthered whilst walking to where the shorter was standing (unease, unsure). “ _That_ will only ever be attached to you _if_ you attempt to escape or harm me, my crew or yourself... now, I have things to be getting on with” he added before turning and heading back towards the door. “Please, help yourself to any of the breakfast foods on the table, a book from my admittedly depleted library and water as you need... A bathing chamber can be found through there but, unless it’s an absolute emergency, you are not to leave this room, do you understand?”

Nodding, Shiro quickly gestured to himself before the Galran could turn away; “I... um... I don’t mean to be, I mean, _thank you_ , but could I...”

“Hn, you are welcome... I will see you at supper, good-day.”

And, just like that, he was gone.


	37. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see chapter 1.
> 
> **WARNINGS INCLUDE: non-con tentacles! Horny Krakens! Non-con biting! Non-con sexual contact! Scary conversations!**

After making use of the washing facilities, snagging an apple and eating it with a hunger he’d not realised was carving through him, the Moon Prince began a slow, meticulous observation of the Commander’s room; a large _nest_ like structure dominated the centre with book shelves climbing the walls. Next to the door (which wasn’t locked, he’d tried it) stood the small table holding more fruit, strange pastries and a water-jug; suspended above him, across the entire ceiling, were (somehow) dust-free nets holding a selection of things from maps to exotic artifacts. 

There were no weapons, of course…

“Of course” he found himself breathing out before he returned to the _bed_ he’d been provided; after carefully pulling the chain to one side (shuddering as he did so), the omega settled onto the futon whilst pulling the blanket up and around him. 

Overall, things weren’t too bad, were they?

Frowning lightly, the human settled and attempted flicking through the tome he’d selected but found that the tale (some kind of Galran war-story) just couldn’t hold his attention; was it okay to simply sit here and do nothing? Could he realistically escape? Did this vessel have any life-raft or did his captors just trust in their natural ability to swim in the case of an emergency?

Also, a quick side-glance at the gleaming chain reaffirming his worries, there were _definite_ penalties should any ill-conceived escape plan fail…

Maybe it would be best to bide his time; patience yields focus, patience yields focus, patience yields…

“ _Mmmmrrrraaaaawwwwwwww~!!_ ”

Blinking, his head snapping up to stare, wide-eyed, out of the bay-window, Shiro felt a true spike of fear lance through him at the sight, the _nightmare_ , rising from a bubbling, frothing ocean into view…

“ _ **Kraken! Kraken incoming from the port-side-bow!!**_ ”

Holy shit… was the menacing Galran who’d abducted him taking them through the Dead-Man’s Triangle, the most notorious, monster infested stretch of ocean this side of the Olkarin Empire?

“ _ **Ready cannons!!**_

Yelping, his body tumbling off the futon to roll closer to Sendak’s nest, the omega struggled into a sitting position to stare, his heart pounding, at the huge, luminous eye blinking at him through the lead-lined glass; it had always seemed like a silly old wives tale that sea monsters craved virgins but now, with the way that pupil narrowed on him, Shiro found himself believing. 

“ _ **Cannons ready!! Fire at will!!**_ ”

As though hearing his thoughts, the giant, octopus-squid-dragon (who didn’t appear at all phased by the cannon fire sounding off around them) chirped out a tune; at the noise, several splashes (louder even than the pirates’ yelling) sounded and soon, with a horrified gasp, he’d know why.

Crawling, sprawling and squelching their way into view, the human watched (in almost comical slow-motion) as a handful of Kraken roughly the size of full-grown men slipped and slid across the tentacles of the much larger creature holding (no doubt crushing) the ship.

They were making their way towards the window…

~*~*~*~

“Where in the world did this thing come from!? Why aren’t the spells working?!”

Scowling, his singular eye glaring at the beast trying (unsuccessfully, thank the Gods) to sink his ship, Sendak listened to the curses and screams of his crew as they tried to cut, shoot and outright blow up the menace and found his mind whirring.

The Flame of Purification had been blessed by the High Priestess herself and, up to now, they’d been able to sail through this cursed patch of ocean hundreds of times on their way back to the Empire, so why would this day be…

“ _Shirogane_ ” he breathed, his head snapping from the huge tentacles sloshing about (distracting, a nuisance and not much else) all over his deck and masts to find the head of the monster…

It was lowered, _craned_ to peer at his cabin.

“By the Ancients!” he hissed; “Haxus! Haxus! Man the wheel, tell Yetzar to ready the teleduv charms! We need to teleport immediately (“aye! Captain!”) and, for Gods’ sake, the next time you plan on kidnapping a virgin _do_ let me know!” he snarled before, his plasma-pistol raised, he ran across the slippery deck and rushed towards the doors leading to the Officers’ quarters. However, a thick tentacle barred his way and so, after growling through the words of an ancient spell that’d passed through his family for centuries, he watched the claws of his fingers glow with ultra-violet quintessence which, once they’d reached their full potency, were rammed into the Kraken’s flesh.

Smirking fiercely when the monster yowled, the tentacle retracting, the alpha slammed through the doors before barreling into his room.

“H-help! Help me… please!”

Nostrils flaring in outrage, Sendak took in the scene with bared teeth; trapped on the floor, his legs stretched obscenely wide with bent knees, his arms spread amidst a mass of writhing limbs, the Moon Prince lay in a twitching, mortified mess as one of the three creatures swarming in his cabin made to tear his undergarments free. He was slick with sea-water, sweat and the monsters’ own secretions, his silver bangs dripping against his forehead whilst, across his torso, legs and hips, beak-marks and bruises were blossoming.

If he’d been even three minutes later…

“Get off my ship!” he roared, his weapon discharging with deadly accuracy to burst the _heads_ of the writhing creatures.

All but squealing, Shiro tried desperately to wipe the goo (luckily it was neither poisonous nor acidic) and charred chunks of flesh from his mouth, eyes and legs before latching onto the Galran arm reaching for him whilst, outside, the largest Kraken screeched bloody murder. 

“O-oh God, oh _God_!”

“Hold onto me tightly” the Commander cut in, his arm curling around the quaking human and drawing him into his chest protectively; “we’re about the make a portal-jump… it can feel disconcerting if you’ve…”

And then, with a resounding, booming _woosh_ and a flash of brilliant purple, the beast wailing and slamming against the ship was gone and, through the window, a calm sea and pleasant afternoon sun filtered through.

~*~*~*~

“ _You’re_ a virgin?”

It felt like on seconds ago since (far more gently than the Prince would have given him credit for) Sendak had prized himself free of the hold Shiro had locked onto him with and left the omega to be bathed and bandaged by the three betas of his crew, however, it must have been at least half an hour…

“It’s tradition” he heard himself say, albeit numbly, his tired, caramel eyes watching dully as Haxus continued to dab a pinkish substance on a particularly nasty bite on his upper thigh; “all royal femmes and omegas of Moon are virgins before marriage…”

“But what about Adam?” his former servant cut in, his expression a strange mix between worried and furious; “I saw you with him…”

“Walking in the park? Drinking tea on the pavilion? Sparring?” the younger returned through a sigh, his shuddering quieting a little with another sip of the famous _Elixir_ the Galran always raved about; “we were only ever close friends… I was promised to Curtis on my eighteenth birthday so there was no point entertaining any other ideas” he said quietly.

“Tch, and your people call _us_ savages” the Druid, (Yetze? Yetza?) snorted, his lean fingers mashing more of the magenta substance they were using on him with a pestle and mortar; “mating with someone before you’ve experienced sex, let alone worked out your own sexual chemistry as a couple, is just barbaric” he sniffed.

Blinking slowly, his head cocking incredulously, Shiro realised (but managed to stifle the hysterical giggle wanting to escape him) that he was receiving relationship advice from raping, pillaging, Galra pirates.

What even was today?

“Yes… well… it’s…”

“ _Tradition_ ” the smallest beta huffed with a roll of lemony-eyes; “you humans love that bull shit, don’t you?”

“As the Prince of my people and an omega tasked with raising the next generation to be better than the last, I’d hardly say that I _love_ the rules placed upon me but I accept them, it is my duty and it is my honour to serve my family, my country and my people” he replied, his tone curt whilst the males around him stiffened a touch. 

“Anyway” he tried to deflect, the straightening of his shoulders slumping once more with fatigue and pain; “I take it that this kind of encounter isn’t something you’re all used to?”

“That’s true” Haxus murmured; “and if I’d thought, even for a second that you were…”

“Yes, well, _why_ is that even a factor?” the human interrupted, his eye creasing in a wince when the Druid dressed a wound around his right nipple (an attack upon his person as shocking as it was painful); “I mean, I know that sharks can scent blood in the water, but…”

“It is a biological response in both Kraken and certain siren species” Betzat, the quietest member of the crew he’d met so far (bookish, his expression closed off and cold, a pair of glasses slanting from impish ears) stated blandly from where he sat at Shiro’s feet, his hands wrapping bandages about a bruising calf. “Virgins offer the most suitable place for them to insert their eggs as there are no sexually transmitted diseases or infections to disrupt the maturation of the young or to corrupt their first meal after hatching” he continued; strangely, he didn’t seem to notice the increasingly mortified looks being shot his way. 

“If our Captain hadn’t intervened, one or more of those spawning Krakens would have penetrated you, filled you with a combination of their eggs and sperm, dragged you out to sea and down into their lair when they’d finished and there you’d be kept alive for the month or so it’d take for the eggs to… _Oww!_ ”

Was it so wrong that the combination of him and the other betas’ smacking the emotionless rationalist at the same time brought a small smile to his tired lips?

It was better than crying, he supposed…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Shiro... why must I punish you so?! 
> 
> ; 3


	38. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: see... somewhere near the front : )
> 
> **Warning: AAAANNNNGGGGSSSTTTT! (Shangst? Is that a thing?)**

“Eh... ya see, Cap’n, cudda been worse, ya know?”

Looking over the extensive list of damages (they’d only been in a skirmish with the blasted things for ten or so minutes) that his shipwright had prepared, Sendak felt the headache blooming from his empty eye-socket spread out across his cranium.

“We’ll not make it back to Daibazaal in this shape” he grumbled; “and we do not have all of the supplies you’ll need to hand, do we?”

“Ah reckon we don’, Cap’n” Krovak sighed out, his massive paw rubbing at his neck sheepishly; “t’were mean’ta be a straight run, ya know?”

Glaring (a small trickle of satisfaction rippling down his spine when the taller, tailed Galra ducked his head in shame), the Commander huffed out a “yes, well, it _wasn’t_ a straight run, was it? Now we’re stuck miles away and Chekna thinks a storm is heading our way” he huffed. 

“So… we be need’in ta dock, then?”

“Aye… the closest port where we can rebuild in peace is on the north side of Arus Island” he stated whilst handing the list back to the hulking alpha; “so long as we land away from the Altean colony, we shouldn’t have any trouble” he reasoned; “tell Zarat to chart a course.”

“Y’es sir!”

~*~*~*~

Re-tying the sash about the (much too large but yukata enough to be comfortable) coarse robe Haxus had scrounged up for him, Shiro allowed a sigh to escape him as the beta in question continued to make up a cot for him in his (luckily undamaged aside from the broken widows) cabin.

“I must admit, I’m quite surprised at how quickly your friends have managed to clean up” he found himself saying as he stood, somewhat awkwardly, next to the older male’s singular locker; this room was nowhere near the size or luxury of Sendak’s _but_ it was cozy and did hold a range of personal effects.

“Oh come now, your highness, surely you didn’t think you could live on the high seas and _not_ be cleanly, hmm? Dysentery, from what I hear, is a terrible way to die… that, and the Commander is somewhat of a neat-freak… he reminds me a lot of _you_ in that regard” the Galra chuckled. “Ah, but the mess suffered outside and the damage to the sails isn’t something so soon fixed” he added with a light shrug; “it’ll probably mean a stop or two before re-entering the Empire” he furthered, his tone a little more serious as he looked over his shoulder at the human. “I know what you’re thinking, but trying to escape would…”

“You have no idea what I’m thinking” the Prince cut in, his arms crossing as he stared at a particularly interesting painting on the wall to his left; his father had often told him that he was terrible at lying and that the truth of what he knew would often parade across his features.

“Takashi…”

“That’s _your highness_ to you” he quipped haughtily; “I offered you my name when I hoped to befriend you, when I dreamed of making your life better and securing your freedom from Curtis” he furthered, his tone sobering. “And now the tables have turned and it is _my_ freedom that… heh, oh look at me and how silly I’m being… as we’ve already established, I don’t have that, do I?”

“It doesn’t have to be that way” Haxus replied evenly, his body rising from the floor to review his former owner, the tips of his ears straightening; “I’m not saying that you should become a pirate or pledge your allegiance to Lord Zarkon, _but_ the Empire is made up of many peoples, not just Galrans… you could have a fresh start…”

“And what? Just forget about the trade-agreements that my marriage cements between Sun and Moon? We need…”

“Isn’t that going to be Kuron’s problem?” the other interjected hotly; “for Gods’ sake, Shiro, your Country doesn’t acknowledge omegas as people enough for you disappearing to matter! What you said earlier about serving your Kingdom means _nothing_ because you’re not a part of Moon once you marry Curtis and he becomes king” he snapped. “Surely your alpha twin is more than capable of holding his own? He was always the favoured son, the one who was praised even though you could wipe the floor with him in a fight and you _always_ sided with him in Court but where, I ask, was he when you were _sold_ off by the High Priest?”

“It’s not like that!” Shiro spat, his crossed arms tightening; “I… I wasn’t sold…”

“Weren’t you?”

“You _weren’t_ there! You didn’t even know me then!” the omega argued; “you’re a pirate, a double-agent, you can’t comprehend what being in my position is like!” he continued, his scowl darkening as his frustration mounted. “Don’t you think that I’ve ever thought about what you’re suggesting? That running away had never crossed my mind, huh? But what you’re forgetting is that sure, you may be right, maybe Curtis won’t honour all of my wishes, however, even as a King he must listen to his Council… A Council which is made up of delegates half of his choosing and half of mine” he stated. “I’ve got more than myself to think about here… the omegas and captive Galrans of both Sun and Moon need the laws that you sneered at and how, I ask you, can I get any of them enforced if I’m _not_ there? Surely me having to submit myself to a life I’ve been preparing for since I presented in exchange for helping others isn’t such a terrible thing, right?”

Shaking his head in bemusement, Haxus merely let out a sigh and approached the room’s only exit; “you need to rest and the breeze coming through the windows will get chillier as evening approaches, so I’d get under the covers if I were you, _highness_ ” he said whilst walking past, their eyes briefly meeting.

“I’ll bring you something to eat later.”

~*~*~*~

Screaming into a pillow that wasn’t his own, sadly, had the same effect as it’d always had at home.

“Ugh… what am I doing?” he mumbled into the (surprisingly) soft covering, his arms hugging it to his body as he sat, cross-legged, upon the futon, his body shivering whilst the sky darkened with clouds and drizzle started to fritter through the air. “What can I do? Gods… stranded… _bitten_ , humiliated and alone… tch, not that that makes any difference” he murmured tiredly; maybe going to sleep was his best choice right now. 

Sighing, he burrowed under the covers, the cold chasing him into a ball with the pillow bunched up against him; oh how he wanted to be home, to be in his own bed, to be…

“Don’t be stupid, Shiro… you don’t have a home anymore… your bed will have been burned, what possession you had will have been packed away by the servants… you’re not needed or wanted in Moon… not-t any-more…”

Sniffing, his eyes screwing shut, the omega attempted to stop the tears from flowing, however, the more he tried to calm himself, the harder his shakes and strangled whimpers became; shit, this was pathetic, he was being _so_ pathetic and…

“’Eer n’ow, wha’s tha me old ears be ‘earin?”

Hiccupping (in sheer, bloody mortification), the Prince ducked against the mattress whilst, to his growing horror, two massive feet planted either side of him; “don’ you be a worryin’ ‘bout ol’ Krovak, e’s just ‘ere ta fix these wind’as… can’ ‘av you an’ Mr Haxus freezin’ in this chilly weather n’ow, can we?”

Gritting his teeth (he couldn’t yell at the Galran or demand that he leave, after all), the human thought about trying to wriggle his way free from the blanket, however, with a gentle caress, he found a long tail rhythmically and soothingly rubbing over his back.

The motion was strange, and yet, with every stroke Shiro felt himself relaxing, his breathing starting to even out. “Mus’ be ‘ard, bee’in so far from ya kin… you hu-mans form packs like us, don’ ye? ‘N Mr Haxus tells me yar to be wed ta a man you’don know? Aye, mus’ be ‘ard for ya” the old alpha acknowledged between fixing the glass panes into place. 

“Mos’ people’d think bein’a’Prince’d be o’life o’luxury… almos’ thar same as mos’ other races thinkin’ me ‘n my kin are nothin’ but animals… the crew n’ me, we wer very much su’prised you wer so calm when ya came ‘ere” he furthered whilst picking up another square of glass. “Yar father, he’s now of Marmora, ain’ ‘e? Mated to _their_ Queen afta a diplomatic somethin’or’other? Mos’ would think that’d make ya hate us, yar father leavin’ Moon tha way, but not ye, eh? Fond of ya’ little brother, so folks say… Heh, aye, thar ‘xplains why ya’ bee’in so understandin’ bout our looks an’ our ways… Mr Haxus thinks a’lot’o’ya too, of course, ‘n tha counts for somethin’” he furthered, his labour almost finished.

“Aye, well, tha’s as good as we can make it ‘til I get mo’ supplies” he called out after a few moments of silence; “ye welcome ta come an’ eats with us if ya like? Stayin’ alone can be arder than suppin’ with folks you don’ know” he offered, his feet and tail removing themselves from the bed.

Blinking, his head (complete with mussed up mane of silver hair) poked out from under the covers to regard who Flame of Purification’s shipwright; as he’d noticed on the first night of his capture, this alpha was of the same reptilian ethnicity as one of Keith’s favourite body-guards, a quiet yet friendly man named Antok. 

Maybe it was the resemblance to someone familiar, or perhaps the fact that this Galra had taken the time to calm him, even empathise with him that did it but, with a small and genuine smile, he found himself accepting the massive hand extending towards him.

What was the worst that could happen?


	39. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 5) 03.02.19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings include: AAAANNNNGGGGSSSSTTTTTTT!!
> 
> It's, um, coming at you from all angles, really...

“So... we’re eating the _same_ kraken that... that nearly...”

“There is something quite appropriately poetic about that, isn’t there?” the slight Galran next to him laughed whilst spooning a hefty portion of the stew their cook had made into the bowl set before Shiro upon the long, love-worn table the crew were animatedly gathered around.

“Huh... you know what, you’re right” the Prince returned with a grin, his right hand securing the _spork_ (one of his favourite Galra utensils) to begin eating; “wow... that is delicious, what else is in it?”

“Umm? Oh, Vrepit Sal... our chef... he _umph_... got taught by... this... fancy human guy... few years back” the younger (well, he looked and sounded it, at least) said through mouthfuls of fresh flatbread and steamy-broth. “Who knows... what he does... I think he’d shank you... jus’ for asking” he furthered with a shrug before going in for more.

Smiling at the youth’s enthusiasm (which was mirrored by all of the varied purple and blue faces merrily tucking into their well-deserved supper), the omega started to do the same whilst carefully observing those around him. 

These men were _not_ the kinds of pirate he’d been expecting.

Gone were the feathered-hats, chewing-tobacco and peg-legs of his imagination for here, in their stead, were lanky or bulky but well-muscled men across a range of ages, heights and Galra heritages; some feline (as those who made up Marmora’s majority), others reptilian but all atypically Galran in their boisterous rousing.

This kind of rowdy, undisciplined food free-for-all would _not_ have been acceptable within Krolia’s palace.

He had a strong feeling that Keith would have enjoyed the spectacle, though...

“Oi~! Shirogane~! What say you sing for us when we’re done, neh?”

Blinking, his spork poised above the last few mouthfuls of his food, the ivory haired male looked to the beta (Yetzar?) across from him with a raised brow; “I’m sorry?”

“Bah~! Don’t play dumb!” he called, his hand raising a tankard; “ _everyone_ from Moon to Balmera knows that you are almost as famous for your singing as you are your fighting skills” he said whilst a few of the alphas roused their agreement. 

Swallowing the last of the kraken-broth, the omega internally sighed before nodding his ascent which was met with a roar of approval across the galley.

“What would you like to hear?” he asked when the din had died down and the younger crew-members started to clear the plates and dishes away; “I only know a few Galran songs” he furthered when the men began to crowd around his seat (with some even sitting on the floor with their drinks and scraps). 

“Ooh! Starlit-Midnight, that’s a classic!” one shouted.

“No way! Love Across the Stars! I heard a girl in Nexus try to sing that and she couldn’t hold a candle to you...” an alpha chorused. 

“Ha! You’re both delusional! Moonlight Sonata is the best song any _human_ composer ever wrote!” one of the tallest alphas at the back voiced to a round of cheering.

Chuckling (from a mixture of nervousness and embarrassment), the Prince was about to offer his own choice when, to the room’s combined shock, the sound of a loud, barked out snort cough brought their eyes to the galley’s entrance where a nonplussed Haxus stood beside an equally stoic Sendak.

“When Krovak assured me that he’d be keeping you out of trouble, an impromptu concert when my crew should be finishing off repairs was _not_ what I had in mind” the Captain drawled before, with a huff, he walked the short distance to an empty chair whilst his first-mate finally broke out in a grin and leaned against the doorjamb. 

“Maa~! Cap’n, wa say you? You av a favrit ditty?” the shipwright asked from where he lazed upon the floorboards, his long tail flicking its tip lazily through the air. 

“Perhaps it is only fitting for our singer to decide” the fur ruffed alpha replied with a light shrug; “but just the one song, if you please… there is still much to be done before the night-shift starts…”

~*~*~*~

Humming to himself (and feeling lighter than he’d done in, well, months actually), Shiro settled into his make-shift bed with a sigh; he hadn’t just sung for the enjoyment of it in years and sure, one song turning into several may not have been ideal but the smile upon the Galra Captain’s face had been worth it.

He really was quite handsome when he…

Blinking himself out of the thought before it could fully form, the human lightly pinched his arm to destroy the weird, unwanted, _inappropriate_ path his mind had just tried to wander down; “what are you doing?” he whispered to the darkness that enveloped the cabin. “You’ve been missing for less than two days… they’re going to sell you back to him” he tried to remind himself, his eyes closing as he hunkered down and pulled the covers up to his chin. 

“Pull yourself together… it was just one night of fun… that’s all… you can allow yourself that, especially after nearly dying” he reasoned before huffing and slamming his jaw shut with a click; Gods, talking to himself? Again?

He needed to get a grip or sleep or do what any _sane_ person would do and start really, truly formulating an escape plan; he was an intelligent man and they would be docking at an island where a colony of his (former) Country’s allies resided.

Think, what did he know about Aurus?

It was a small, lush island inhabited by its small, native-peoples and an Altean settlement of scientists who were living there to study the flora and fauna for… ugh, some kind of reason.

This meant, of course, that there probably wouldn’t be any warriors present (outside of whatever secure King Alfor deemed necessary), well, certainly not enough to protect him and their colony from marauding, Galran pirates.

Pirates who would probably far less friendly and far more snarly should he try anything…

Shit, he just kept going around and around in circles; this was ridiculous, he should make up his mind, be decisive, be…

“ _Takashi, just because you act like an alpha doesn’t mean you are one, you know? You **never** can be so… look, isn’t it about time that you stopped pretending to be something you aren’t? You know that Curtis is expecting someone _traditional_ , don’t you?_”

Sitting up, his twin’s words jolting him from the light doze he’d been trying to secure, Shiro heard himself swallow the hard-lump forming in his throat; for once, Kuron was right, wasn’t he?

He should stay put, remain calm, be _quiet_ and await his rescue whilst doing everything he could to avoid his captors and any fraternization that could arise, shouldn’t he?

That’s what a good, obedient omega Prince would do… and that’s what he was.

That’s what he _would_ be from now on…

~*~*~*~

“You seem to be in particularly good spirits this morning, sir” Haxus greeted as he brought the Captain’s breakfast pastry to him as the taller man continued to pilot their vessel towards the deserted shore of Aurus, a gentle turn easing them to the side, ready to park. 

“And _you_ seem particularly chatty” was the snorted retort after a ruthless bite was taken; “tch, to think I thought I’d missed your presence these last few months” he huffed as calls began to sound out across the decking as the anchor was released and the sails were packed away.

“Why sir, what a compliment it is to think that your humblest servant was missed in his long exile” the slight beta close to cooed before gobbling down his own fruit-based meal-bar; “it may warm your heart further to know that the life of a pirate under your command suits me far more than that of a Sun Kingdom slave” he huffed. “The sooner Lord Zarkon lays waste to that pitiable place, the better” he added before turning his attention to the shore, his eyes critical; “hmm… there looks to be plenty of trees to fell and those vines should make suitable ropes with the right treatment” he mused.

Nodding, Sendak tilted his head at the shorter Galran, his arms crossing; “you would see your little friend’s new home burned to the ground by our forces, would you?”

Blinking, the dog-eared male returned his attention towards his superior; “Sun Kingdom will never be home to an omega like that” he returned easily: “and whenever we raid anywhere, we always take a souvenir or two” he continued with a shrug.

“Oh? You fancy taking the human for your own, do you?”

“Hmm? Well… not in so many words…”

“By the Ancients” the taller sighed, his expression and tone equally incredulous; “you’ve gotten _soft_ in your absence… for Gods’ sake, Haxus, he’s a bargaining chip not a house-pet you can train and keep for your amusement…”

“He’s neither of those things, actually” the shorter bit out, his tone challenging. “He could be a great asset to the Empire and to our causes… did we not rise up and take to the seas, forming our own Kingdom due the injustices we were suffering thanks to decisions made by other races?” he asked. “Well, it’s the same for him and many others who are not Galra… isn’t this why half-bloods and none Galran mates are welcome amongst our encampments?”

“Listen to yourself, man” Sendak growled out; “you’ve gotten… _attached_ ” he all but spat, his good eye narrowed: “this is _just_ another ransom and that’s that” he said, his tone brokering no argument. 

“Fine” the first-mate glowered back, his body turning to leave but, before he did, he looked at the Captain over his shoulder; “let’s hope that the man who sang _with him_ last night can remember that, too…”

~*~*~*~

“What do you mean?! How can they justify doing _nothing_?!”

Prowling about the throne room, his tail slashing through the air with unrepressed fury, Keith turned wide, tear laced eyes towards his stricken father and equally (though coolly) angered mother; “it’s bad enough that the Moon Council _married him off_ without telling dad, telling _us_ , but this?!”

“Your highness, please…”

“No, you will not quiet my son in his grief” Krolia stated, her unforgiving gaze narrowing upon the sniveling creature from Sun and Adam Wise (the man she’d hoped, had expected, would wed her favoured step-son) who spoke for Moon. “Are me not members of your Countries’ alliance? Why did the Queen and Prince Curtis not formally introduce the marriage as is customary amongst our peoples?”

“Ahh, well, it was thought, your majesty, that this matter be kept, um, _quiet_ until the wedding was solidified… High Priestess Sanda…”

“That witch’s name is _not_ welcome in these Halls” a stoic, looming Kolivan reminded from where he stood idly, calmly sharpening his luxite blade beside his monarch’s throne, a comforting presence as not only the Captain of the Guard but as her older, protective brother. 

“Be that as it may” Adam called, his silver armor gleaming in the morning sun; “it was her decision… I believe that she was concerned that you would… _oppose_ the union…”

Bolting from his seat and moving at the speed that astonished even the quietly brooding Antok, Logan Kagone had punched the knight square across his jawline before anyone could think to stop him; the younger alpha fall the floor with a resounding ‘ _clang_ ’ and dejected grunt.

“Oppose?!” the Royal Consort hissed, his balled fists trembling; “so this is why my requests to visit with him have been denied for months, is it? The reason why Kuron has been so secretive?!” he snapped. “H-how dare they!? And how could _you_ , of all people, come here and so _casually_ talk of my child’s engagement to someone _completely_ unknown to us when you once spoke to me of your love for him?!”

“I…”

“No! Don’t you _dare_ try to explain yourself!” he seethed; “I ought to ask for your execution for betraying him so cruelly!”

“Your majesty! This is highly unorthodox!” Sun’s representative squeaked when Adam merely looked away, his body prone and unmoving from where he lay upon a highly polished, marble floor. 

“I quite agree” Krolia stated as she and Keith approached their distressed loved one; “I should have you _both_ executed” she added. “Firstly you come here, to our home, with news we should have been told of phoebes ago” she furthered, her clipped tone growing harsher with every word spoken. “And then not only do you add that Takashi has been kidnapped by Imperial Pirates but that Curtis will _not_ be paying a ransom should one be posted? Therefore, correct me if I’m wrong, but does this also mean that Sun will not be taking any active measures to find and rescue my step-son?”

“W-well… we have, of course, sent out three of our best ships to track the Pirates but, as you know… your majesty… the seas are vast and with their teleduv magics, we…”

“I see” the Queen breathed before snapping her fingers; at the motion, Blade warriors solidified out of the shadows to converge about them, their forms tall, intimidating and masked. “Tell Prince Curtis and Queen Mikoto that we shall handle this matter moving forward and that Curtis should consider any relation he had to Takashi null and void” she stated before staring down at Adam. “Inform Prince Kuron that should he wish to continue the trade deals he’s forming with us before his coronation that he should respect our decree and acknowledge that his brother will now be a ward of Marmora once he’s found…”

“Y-you… your majesty… you cannot… an omega was promised…”

“And an omega was _given_ ” she growled out harshly; “and your people lost him… now get out of my palace and off my lands whilst I have mercy and patience enough to allow you!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Cus, seriously? Y'all ever heard Josh Keaton (Shiro's voice-actor) sing? He's amazing : )
> 
> I would have included an actual song/lyrics _but_ I didn't think it was needed... that and, well, whenever I try to do a song-fic it comes out all cringy (well, cringier than what I'm happy posting... which, actually, probably doesn't mean much -_-;;).


	40. A Stolen Heart Upon Moonlit Tides (Part 6) 02.03.19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: somewhere near the front : )
> 
> How about we have a little something sweet after all of that angst? (but... ugh, there is still some angst because... it's me?)

Sighing, his hands playing with the chain which made up his leash, Shiro continued to stare out at the green, pleasant little island they were in sight off, his eyes watching as the small boats that’d departed only moments ago arrived at the shore-line.

“Must you have him tied up like a dog at your heel?” Haxus asked from the right of him; he’d put up no fight and had made no comment when Sendak woke him that morning with the collar in hand: “what are you worried about, exactly? That he’ll leap off the edge and swim all that way?”

“You think he couldn’t?”

“I am _right here_ , you know” he heard himself before snapping his mouth closed with a click; being the _perfect_ omega was always going to be difficult but, under these conditions, damned near impossible.

“Yes, and that’s exactly where you’ll be staying, won’t it?” the Captain grunted, his eye narrowed at the man sat at his booted feet; “do not think you have more fooled with this simpering, nicely-nicely act” he furthered whilst leaning down a little, their eyes locking: “you’re a predator, Shirogane, and predators are full of tricks.”

Blinking, his hostility momentarily bleeding out of him, Shiro cocked his head to the side whilst asking “did... was _that_ a compliment?”

“Tch, take it as you will” the towering alpha replied through a sneer which wasn’t embarrassed at all; “now Haxus, haven’t you got men to marshal?”

“Aye, sir” the beta quipped, his grin tilting to a smirk as he walked away; “you two better behave yourselves while I’m gone, alright?”

Snorting, his fangs flashing in warning, Sendak watched his first-mate virtually skip off the deck to land (all feline grace) into the final scavenging vessel which made a swift departure upon his order; the Flame of Purification, it seemed, had been deserted save for the pair on deck and the night-crew slumbering away in their hammocks. 

“Do you think you’ll get everything you need without having to bother the locals?”

“Hm? Krovak is skilled with anything he lays his hands on” the older responded with a shrug; “those forests should cover everything we’ll need to make it home” he added.

Breathing a sigh of relief (was it so wrong for him to want humanise these men?), Shiro leaned his back against the railings so he could more effectively peer up at his captor; “what is Daibazaal like?”

Chuffing (he was clearly taken aback by the question) the Galran quirked his brows at the omega, his frown deepening. “You expect me to give away key secrets about my Emperor’s enchanted home-land, do you?”

“ _No_ ” the younger replied slowly, the feeling of camaraderie he’d been trying to foster (like a _good_ omega courtesan) falling flat; “I just asked what it was like, that’s all” he added his eyes pulling away to look out at sea: “when I was little, before I knew any better, I always dreamed of travelling” he sighed. “And now, well… not that I ever _could_ just hop on a ship and go where I wished, I know that any kind of travelling I’ll ever get to do is through the eyes of other people” he furthered, his tone softening; “it must be wonderful to just go wherever you’d like whenever you please…”

“A life at sea isn’t all you’d imagine” the taller cut in; “there are ferocious storms, days without wind and beasts so hideous your nightmares would shrivel in their wake to contend with” he continued gruffly: “illness, boredom and insubordination are to be watched for, too.”

Humming noncommittally, the younger ivory haired male simply continued to regard the blue, gently undulating ocean, his mind preparing to slip into a meditative stance when, to his surprise, the Galran grumbled something in his native tone before leaning against the railing. “Our homeland is much like Arus in the fact that it’s an island full of lush vegetation, game, water and resources” he murmured, his body facing towards the isle they were plundering. “However, it is substantially larger and, thanks to the Druids, totally movable... ahh, but these are things you’d know already, hm?” he grunted; “it might surprise you to the know that the rivers run purple, the grasses vary from indigo to violet and our spice-fields are some of the finest in the world.”

Blinking, a surprised smile lighting his features, Shiro leaned back and listened as the Captain continued to detail the quintessence imbued place of his birth.

A growing part of him was very interested to see it for himself.

~*~*~*~

“Mom, dad, _please_ ” Keith close to hissed, his form clothed in the Royal Guards finest battle-gear; “neither of you can go, but I _can_...”

“Get yourself kidnapped so that your parents must risk the lives of two beloved cubs instead of one?” Kolivan cut in gruffly, his right hand still holding the fourteen year old by the scruff of his collar; “we found him _hiding_ amongst the water barrels aboard The Hilt...”

“I wasn’t hiding!” the teen snapped, his violet eyes flashing amber; “I _knew_ you wouldn’t let me go if I asked so what other choice did I have?” he grumbled angrily: “Takashi is my brother! I can’t just wait around for news while the Blades do all of the work!” 

“That is what _we’re_ paid for, your highness” the imposing Galra snorted whilst releasing the boy upon a flustered Krolia’s command.

“Yorak… _Keithra_ ” she sighed, her clawed hands cupping his cheeks to ensure their eyes met; “I know that you worry for him, we all do, but how will the good Captain and his team be able to focus with you, a possible target, on board?” she asked, her brows lowering when it looked as though her kit would retaliate. “You are strong, brave and intelligent, it’s true; however, you lack the vital experience needed for such a dangerous and risky rescue mission” she reminded, her fingers softening their hold: “what would Shiro say if he were here?”

Blinking, his anger momentarily faltering in his grief, the teenager looked away before, his fisted hands trembling he returned his gaze to hers, his form resolute; “he isn’t here” he said, his shoulders straightening: “and I will _never_ gain the experience necessary to help him or our Country if you keep on holding me back…”

“Hey-now, Keith…”

“No dad, you don’t… you _can’t_ understand because you’re not Galra” he cut in, the flash of hurt crossing his father’s face jabbing him momentarily in the gut but he forced himself to keep going; “and mom, _you_ can’t understand because you’re not human” he breathed. “My Galran instincts are screaming that allowing someone to harm a member of my family is shameful, and I can only clear that shame by making those responsible pay the price” he stated before turning to his sire. “And my human heart is so worried about my brother that it won’t let me rest until I know that he’s safe!” he exclaimed, his frown deepening: “so you can all try and stop me _but_ I _will_ find a way to a ship!”

~*~*~*~

Watching the multitudinous pirates (they were either multiplying or moving so quickly that he was losing track) sweep around the deck, up the riggings, across the mast, over the sides and down into the bowels of the ship again was, he admit, as impressive as it was dizzying.

Was it any wonder that this ship was the most successful, the most _feared_ amongst all of Zarkon’s forces?

“Not bad for a bunch of salty-sea-dogs, eh, your highness?”

Blinking up at Haxus, his hands gratefully accepting the glass of water he was being offered, Shiro gave him a genuine smile; “you guys astound my more and more with every passing hour” he admitted, his eyes momentarily straying to watch two betas and an alpha acrobatically swing between the masts some fifteen or twenty feet in the air. 

“Ahh, well, it’s always good to have _circus-performer_ as a back-up career should piracy ever lose its appeal” the floppy-eared first mate chuckled; “you’ve been out here for a few hours” he redirected: “would you like to go back inside?”

“Can I shirk my _neck-accessory_ if I do?” the omega returned, his eyes hopeful.

“Of course” the first-mate shrugged; “would you also like a biscuit and for me to call you a _’good-boy’_ for behaving so well?”

Snorting whilst pulling himself into a stand, the Prince offered a flippant, sarcastically grinned “ _thank you, master_ ” whilst being led to the double-doors which housed the Officers’ barracks; “did you see any Arusians or Alteans shore-side?” 

“Aside from trees, vines and sap I say a few frizzle-tailed gentnee, a couple of chukanons and I believe Gethran successfully killed a few soot-soots for supper as Sal wants to pickle the rest of the kraken” the older replied. “Although, I suppose it’s possible that either of those races _could_ have been watching us thanks to their chameleon abilities but, if they had any objections to us helping ourselves, well, none of them voiced it” he shrugged.

Sighing out a breath of relief, Shiro eagerly followed the taller male passed the ornate doors to find…

“My-my, Captain, you should have locked the entrance way since you were bathing.”

Feeling his mouth go suddenly, inexplicably dry, the omega couldn’t help but _stare_ at the chiseled abs and chest so deliciously on display thanks to wet, deep-mauve fur clinging to every defined plane of Sendak’s currently (mostly naked) hip-toweled form.

Sure, he knew that the man was handsome and strong, but…

“Why, your highness, you’ve suddenly gone flushed” Haxus (the only one not clearly mortified by catching the soaked Captain in the corridor, presumably on his way to the Bridge) commented, his tone giddy as he looked from one _frozen_ man to the other.

“Anyone would think you were two intended lovers embarking on their first night of…”

“ _ **All hands to stations!! Altean archers!! Altean archers converging on the shore!! All hands to stations!!**_ ”

Then, just like that, the trance was, sadly, broken.


	41. What He Deserves... (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pairing: Curtis/Shiro, Paladins & Shiro, Veronica & Curtis, Slight Veronica/Axca, Unrequited Keith/Shiro?  
> Rating: General-Explicit
> 
> Summary: It all began after the first Altean mecha was destroyed; Curtis hadn’t meant to see Takashi Shirogane slowly being abandoned by the people he’d bled for, _died_ for and, for the record, reading up on the man’s private life wasn’t something he’d intended to do, either.
> 
> However, hero-worship is a terrible habit to break and, honestly, if there was even a chance for him to get to know this incredible, brave, gorgeous man and help alleviate the loneliness he could see weighing down those broad shoulders then, by God, he’d take it.
> 
> Even if he had to go through the Paladin’s to do so...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings include: angst, Paladin-bashing? I don’t know... I’m not expecting people to like this as many feel cheated/angry about this canon pairing, Curtis awkwardly crushing, Shiro suffering, explicit sex scenes, anal sex, touch-deprived Shiro, lonely Shiro, I have REAL issues about how Shiro was sidelined from Season 7 onwards, Season 8 in particular; I had to write this! The plot bunnies made me; I’m exorcising the demon!**
> 
>  
> 
> **I just... well... have all these _feels_ ; there’s lots of great fics out there to do with Curtis/Shiro being a mistake before a big Sheith reveal and that’s cool, that’s great but... umm... #GiveCurtisaChance?**

The first time he’d noticed had been unsettling; at first he figured he was being silly and _overly emotional_ because he’d just concluded a video-call with his parents and younger siblings from where they were safely camped in a fall-out shelter back home.

Also, who was he to judge? He didn’t know the Paladins of Voltron or how they interacted with each other or...

“Umm... hey, Sean, is Captain Shirogane in there?”

“Eh? Ugh... no, sorry... everyone else and their families are though” the volunteer drinks server (a Junior Officer he’d known since their Academy days) replied with a blink, his head turning back to the party going on in what used to be a training-hall. “Huh... now that’s strange, you would have thought that he’d be here, right? I mean, this is a celebration for them and their... _ohh_ ” the freckled male cut off, his head ducking slightly.

“ _Ohh_?” Curtis found himself prompting as they walked away from the soft music, laughter and clinking glasses.

“The Captain, well, he doesn’t have a family, does he?”

Feeling his jaw loosen, the Communications expert slowed his steps; “what? No... no he, didn’t he... wasn’t he...”

“If you’re talking about Adam Wise... he was one of the first pilots to die during the initial invasion” the red-head whispered whilst nodding to a storage-cupboard; as they entered, he gave a few sideways glances before leaning in conspiratorially; “now, you didn’t hear any of this from me, I’m not a fan-boy or a stalker or anything” he breathed. “But, you know, the guy was a legend _before_ he went to space and aliens invaded, wasn’t he?”

Nodding (many people at the Garrison felt that way, of course; Takashi had set records that no one, to this day, had been able to beat and now, through some weird quirk of fate, he’d found some kind of psychic link through a crystal to a ship that could become a mecha and who, really, wouldn’t be impressed by that?), Curtis leaned in further.

“Well... from what I hear, Shiro was orphaned as in, you know, dropped off somewhere as a baby or something because of his, err, condition” Sean said, his tone sombre; “then, well, thanks to WWIII, there was that Government initiative to build up the military provisions and so...”

“The Garrison raised him?” Curtis murmured; “God, I had no idea...”

“Yeah, well... he was just so together and so happy, you know?” the slightly younger man agreed. “Never adopted, hell, never even fostered, I guess he just spent his time training and learning and well, I know that he and Adam were engaged before Kerberos but, ugh, they split up when Shiro took the mission” he added. “It was _all_ over the campus and faculty... Adam didn’t even say good-bye at the launch...”

“But what about Keith Kagone?” the mocha-skinned male heard himself blurt.

“Hmm? Oh, well, I know that the Captain was his legal guardian until his sixteenth birthday and that the kid bailed when everyone thought he and the Holts’ died out there” the empty-tray carrier hummed. “He was at the party with those Galran’s and that wolf... maybe, I don’t know, _maybe_ Shiro wanted to give them some privacy?” he reasoned. “Getting to be with your birth-mother and learn about a new side of the family must be pretty overwhelming without the whole space-war thing, huh?”

Frowning lightly, the blue eyed male thanked his friend, walked from the storage-area and kept walking, his mind whirring; this... this wasn’t right. 

The man who’d survived a year of untold horrors as a slave, who’d risked life and limb (literally) to come home in an attempt to warn them, save them all before returning to the unknown for years was now what? Someone to just be left in the background, to be ignored?

‘Maybe you’re over-thinking this’ he tried to reassure himself whilst meandering around the base; he was off-duty and so free to do whatever he liked... including maybe, possibly, definitely seeing if he could track down the ivory haired man occupying his thoughts. 

‘Not _everyone_ wants to go to parties, right? He might want some time to himself, he might have chosen not to attend...’

It was at the moment, as though summoned by his thoughts, that Takashi Shirogane walked directly past his line of vision; he was alone, his eyes fixed to a table whilst his Altean arm rubbed a small towel across his brow. 

If the loose pants, tank-top and light sheen of sweat were anything to go by then he’d just left the gym.

When their eyes met, even in that brief instant, Curtis knew that he’d lost his heart for good.

~*~*~*~

Becoming the official Chief Communications Officer aboard the Atlas (or, rather, retaining the role for their expedition into Space) was like a dream come true, especially since this meant that he would be stationed on the Bridge and following Shiro’s shift rotation patterns for the majority of their missions.

Not that he was stalking the man, or anything...

“Umm, hello? Earth to Curtis?” 

Blinking, a sweat-drop comically sliding against his temple, the older male turned to a slightly smirking Veronica as she stood next to his chair, her right hand artfully pushing her glasses up; “oh, I’m sorry, was I interrupting your staring session, hmm?”

“W-what? I’m not... I _wasn’t_...”

“ _Sure_ you weren’t” the beautiful Cuban quipped, her eyes twinkling; “why don’t you just ask him out already?”

“Y-you can’t be serious” he close to wheezed, his gaze shifting to the command-counsel (the night-shift Captain, in this instance General Iverson, already logging in since Shiro had departed in the last few minutes or so). “We’re... there’s... the _mission_...”

“Is long-term, you big dope” his torturer snorted whilst crossing her arms and cocking her head; “Jesus... if we _all_ put our lives on hold whenever there was a conflict back home then the human race would have died out centuries ago” she reminded through a huff. “Come on, you know I’m right... that, and well, he’s seemed a little distant lately, don’t you think?”

Frowning softly, that same feeling from months ago resurfacing, Curtis slumped a little in his chair; of course he’d noticed, it was hard not to.

Lance only had eyes for Allura who, in turn, was still desperately trying to unite and speak to her people. Hunk and Romelle were rallying the kitchen staff, Pidge and her parents were busy running the Atlas and hydroponics bay whilst Keith, well, Keith seemed to be purposefully alone.

He’d seen (quite by mistake) Shiro try and approach his protégé only three days ago after the Paladin’s successfully completed a solo mission and, to his shock, watched the half-Galra shrug the man off before walking away.

The heart-broken look upon the Captain’s face had nearly gotten him caught peeping as a gasp had left him before he could stop it; luckily (or unluckily), the ivory haired man had been too bewildered by the snub to notice. 

“Ugh! You’re impossible, you know that?”

“Huh?”

“I only have to mention him and you zone-out like a love-sick idiot” Veronica laughed, her smirk morphing into something more sympathetic; “I’m pretty sure that he’s gone to the canteen for a snack before bed-time so, I don’t know, why not get him a drink or something?”

Nodding slowly, his expression resolute, Curtis stood and followed the younger woman out of the Bridge.

He could do this...

He would.

~*~*~*~ 

He... _couldn’t_ do this...

The canteen was relatively deserted this late in the evening and, to the Communication Officer’s growing horror, he found himself just _standing_ by the automated-drinks machine, his eyes staring at the selections as though they were all written in some alien language he couldn’t decipher.

God, he was pathetic...

“Umm... Lieutenant Solaris? Are you alright?” 

Blinking (and nearly jumping out of his skin), Curtis turned his head (his movements stiff and mechanical) to see Shiro stood next to him, those caramel eyes soft as they regarded him.

“O-oh? Captain Shirogane, I... ugh... I mean...” he stammered, a rush of heat flooding his face; “I’m sorry, I...”

“There’s no need to apologise” the former Black Paladin assured warmly; “I just wanted to make sure that you were okay because, well, you’ve been standing there a while” he chuckled before gesturing at the machine: “that, and I could really do with some chai-tea before bed, would you like one?”

“Ahh, ugh, yes, yes please... that’d be” he attempted to say whilst stepping aside, his laugh nervous; “it’s, umm, it’s kind’a funny that you should ask because, ugh, well... I was actually hoping to get _you_ a drink” he furthered, his eyes looking anywhere other than his superior’s face.

“Really?” the slightly younger asked, his brows lifting in surprise.

“Yeah...” Curtis sighed after taking a breath, his shoulders straightening a little as he attempted to settle himself into the conversation; “it was all Veronica McClaine’s idea, really... I, ugh, _wow_... talking is suddenly... umm” he failed, his shoulders slumping before he gestured to the sitting area. “Would you... I mean, you’re probably super busy and need your rest and...”

“I’ve got some time” Shiro reassured with a gentle smile; “let’s go over there and have a talk, okay? Being out in space can really wear you down, trust me, I’ve been there” he reasoned whilst grabbing the cups and walking away.

Blinking (and somehow fighting the temptation to stare at the other’s ass... well, _almost_ ), the Communication’s Officer (a title growing more ironic by the second) followed sheepishly; sure, the object of his affections thought he was coming down with cabin-fever and needed the Captain to hold his hand, but still...

Every great romance had to start somewhere, right?

~*~*~*~

“Great work today team.”

Fighting off giant space-squid was something that you could, apparently, get used to; praise from their Captain, too, was something that the majority of them looked forward to...

“We’ll be landing on Planet X911-3 for some well-deserved R&R within the next two hours and, thankfully, the auxiliary crew have offered to set the Atlas down for us, so you’re all free for the next seventy-two hours” Shiro announced to the gratefully sighing Bridge Officers. “Get some rest and enjoy exploring the surface if you like... I’ll see you all back here, ready for take-off, at 08:00 on the third... Dismissed.”

“Aye Captain” they replied before getting up, many of them stretching and leaving at their own pace whilst new, fresher staff filed in to take their places.

“So... seventy-two hours, huh? You got anything _special_ planned?”

Slanting an unimpressed look at the preening Veronica, Curtis stood and met her gaze leer for leer. “Couldn’t I ask you the same?” he asked, his tone mockingly innocent before giving her blinking face a smirk; “I hear training with Axca is going pretty well...”

“Touché” the Cuban bit out playfully before linking his arm and pulling him away from his console, their laughter frittering down the hall as they headed towards the Officer’s quarters. “It _is_ going well, as it happens... but seriously, what about you? It’s been two weeks since that first drink _and_ I’ve noticed that you’ve started having lunch together” she furthered, her brows waggling suggestively.

Blushing lightly, the ebony haired male grinned despite himself; “yeah, well... he’s just so great to talk to” he heard himself saying, his cheeks darkening a shade further: “I, err, _accidently_ called him amazing, to his face, yesterday” he breathed.

Snorting through a laugh, the woman leading him tried to regain her composure whilst a few onlookers blinked at them; “oh my... oh my _God_ ” she giggled: “that is... that is _priceless_ ” she chortled before rounding on him, her eyes wide. “What did he say?”

“I didn’t give him the chance to say anything, really” the blue eyed male sighed, his head bowing in shame; “I just... kept talking, and stammering, like an idiot until I couldn’t bear it anymore, grabbed my lunch-tray, wished him a pleasant day and virtually _ran_ out of the canteen” he explained, his blush replaced by mortification.

“Ohh... poor baby” Veronica offered, her right hand rubbing at his back compassionately; “come on, let’s get you fed and figure out a plan of attack... he’s got to have R&R too, right?”

“Well yeah, but, won’t he want to spend his time with your brother and their team?” Curtis asked.

“Hmm? Didn’t you know? Voltron’s gone on ahead to meet up with Krolia, Kolivan and the re-established Blade of Marmora” she replied, her face reflecting the slightly worried look she could see on her friend’s. “It... it does seem a little strange that they couldn’t have waited, doesn’t it? I mean, Shiro would usually have gone along with them... I know that Coran and Romelle joined the expedition...”

“Ah... so you’re finally starting to see what I’ve been talking about” the taller human said, his tone more relieved than he thought it’d be; “do... has Lance, well, ever said anything? Has there been, I don’t know, a fight or an argument or...”

Shaking her head thoughtfully as they rounded a corner, Veronica found her frown deepening. “Honestly? He’s been so wrapped up in Allura and getting stressed about her being stressed that I, well, haven’t really been able to get a word in edgewise when we’ve managed to see each other between missions” she admitted. “And, outside of Hunk, I don’t really know the other Paladins very well and they all seem happy enough when they’re onboard... huh, maybe it’s that, you know? Maybe it’s just the difficulty of getting together when there’s so much craziness and fighting going on... They’re fine when we’re working alongside each other though, aren’t they? I haven’t noticed anything weird or negative when I’ve been on the Bridge, have you?”

“No... but it seems like something deeper than that” the Communications Officer murmured; “it’s like they’re, well, just forgetting about him” he continued sadly. 

Regarding him carefully, the glasses wearer found that she couldn’t defend her brother or his friends in this; “I’ll see what I can find out when I next see Lance and, in the mean time, why don’t _you_ officially ask the man out on a date?”

“E-hh?”

“Come on, Curtis, this is the perfect opportunity” she argued as they came to a stop outside of her room, her hand deftly slipping her tablet out of the small satchel she was carrying. “From the looks of this he’s booked into the gym at 06:00 tomorrow morning... why not _casually_ drop in and ask him to go exploring with you?” she suggested, her smirk having returned full-force.

“And when he rejects the idea?”

“ _If_ he rejects the idea, come on over and we’ll eat ice-cream and bitch about everything wrong in the Universe, okay?”

~*~*~*~

This was it.

“Take a deep-breath, you’ve got this” he told himself as he stared at the gym’s closed doors; “just go in, say ‘hey’ or ‘good morning’ or ‘fancy meeting you here’... ugh, no, what are you thinking?” he berated himself before, with a breath, he opened the doors.

What greeted him was breath-taking.

Stood there, shirtless, his flesh-arm doing all the work, was Takashi Shirogane and the luckiest dumbbell in the Universe curling up from his hip and then into the air above his head. 

“Hmm? Curtis? Hey, good morning” said God-like figure called, his smile bright; “it’s quite rare to see anyone up and about this early... are you coming in?”

Swallowing around the lump rapidly forming in his throat, the slightly older man ducked his head and approached, gym-bag in hand; “yeah... well, I wanted an early start because, ahh, I was hoping to go planet side for a while” he said, his lungs sucking in a breath to ask the other to join him when...

“Oh? Will you be asking Veronica to go with you?”

Wait... _what_?

“I...”

“Forgive me for asking” the ivory haired man offered, his exercise halting as he blushed a little; “it’s really none of my business... it’s just that I saw you walk her to her room last night and assumed...”

Oh no... oh no, no, _no_...

“Ahh, ugh, Veronica and I, we, _we’re_ not...”

“Hmm, well, this could be a great chance to take that step” the former Black Paladin encouraged, his smile luminous if maybe, if he squinted, a little sad; “there’re no rules against on-mission relationships if that’s what you’re worried about...”

“But it’s _you_ who I want to take planet side, Captain!”

Blinking, their eyes locking as his outburst reverberated and echoed about the room so loudly that Allura’s mice probably heard him all the way on the other side of the Atlas, Curtis decided that the time to throw all caution to the wind was here.

There was ice-cream waiting for him if this all ended badly, and so: “look... I, _God_... why is it so difficult to talk to you?” he said, his legs striding him towards the still bewildered man. “Captain... _Shiro_... I have been going out of my mind trying to approach you, to tell you that I’ve been wanting to ask you out for months and, believe me, in all of the many, _many_ ways in which I’ve imagined this moment they were all _way_ cooler than this” he rambled, his hand reaching out to touch the one holding the dumbbell. 

“I know that this might seem sudden, and weird, and hell, maybe inappropriate for someone like me to ask someone like you out but, damn-it, we’re here now and this, apparently, is the moment so... would you like to go on a date, with me, today?”

Mouth parted slightly (and so damned kissable), the ivory haired male let out a breathy chuckle before breathing a soft, pleased sounding: “I’d love to...”


End file.
